


Fairy

by MysteryElle



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Accidental Cuddling, Angst, Canonical Character Death, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fighting, Gen, Like, No Babies, Past Rape/Non-con, Slow Burn, Sweet, angsty af, badass character, but like, comedy?, except Judith, injuries, off-script starting now, real sad at the end, then it gets happier, there are some really self-indulgent chapters I will admit, with zombies and shit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-04
Updated: 2018-04-21
Packaged: 2018-09-28 05:24:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 31
Words: 160,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10074080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MysteryElle/pseuds/MysteryElle
Summary: How the hell does a plucky illegal Russian migrant with a smile that could clear the clouds fall for Daryl Dixon? How does a quiet and badass redneck with a crossbow and angel wings on his back fall for someone with a name like Faye Katya Zastev? Read to find out, but brace yourselves.





	1. Nice

**Author's Note:**

> I got all my translations from Google translate, so I know they're not accurate. And this work won't be updated frequently like my others because I am still writing this one. Sorry! but life and school and all that jazz.  
> Anyway, The Walking Dead, as promised.  
> (PS- as cool as it would be to own the show, I don't)

Daryl stalked through the dense trees, eyes darting to every little movement in the brush. His arms held his crossbow level with his shoulders as he searched for prey. He wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand and flicked the droplets off of his fingertips. His mouth was turned down in a frown, not in focus, but resentment as he thought about why he was sweating his ass off in the Georgia heat.

The rent a cop back at camp had taken charge and assigned Daryl and Merle as the camp hunters. The only thing Merle was hunting for at the moment was drugs or booze, so that left Daryl alone, in the woods. His hunt had taken him quite a ways away from the quarry, where the others resided. The underbrush was thicker here, and made it difficult for Daryl to keep his footsteps quiet. 

He cursed quietly when a stray thorn caught his elbow. He wasn't bleeding, but it was still an uncomfortable and sensitive area for now. He shook it off and called it for the day. There was no game out here. The geeks had probably scared it off if they didn't eat it all already. 

He turned around to retrace his steps back, but froze when he heard a small rustle back behind him. He raised his bow again and glanced at the trees. He saw nothing, but wouldn't give up on possible game that easily. He pushed back into the forest slowly so as to make as little noise as possible. 

He heard a twig snap behind him and spun, ready to shoot. He was not expecting the sight that greeted him, however.

A woman, who could only be about five and a half feet at most, stood defensively a few yards away from him, without a weapon drawn. Her hair was a light, mousy brown color that reminded Daryl of a rabbit's fur cropped close to her head and littered with debris pushed back with a dark blue bandanna. Her eyes were a dark gray and her skin was probably pale before the outbreak, but was now freckled and rosy. She had black war paint smudged on her eyes and next to her cheekbones, as if she had rubbed her eyes and smudged the paint back into her hair. She wore just a black sports bra, but her lower abdomen was wrapped with a bandage and fresh gauze with the waistline of her pants covering the majority. There was a camouflage coat over her torso, not zipped and with a name tag that read "Mayfield" sewn on. She was obviously taken care of, looking well fed and fit enough to run from the dead walking. She had blades tied at each hip and knives strapped to her thighs. She wore torn and ratty black jeans and what looked like military boots. Most intriguing to Daryl was the string of five rabbits around her shoulder.

She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes dangerously. When she spoke, it was cracked and deep, as if she hadn't spoken in days, weeks even. "Your camp, do you have kids there?" He could place her accent as foreign and sharp, like German or Russian.

Daryl didn't answer and kept his weapon trained on her head. 

After a few seconds of silence she reached for her shoulder. Daryl tensed visibly, so she slowed her movements and held her free hand up, palm towards him. She brought the string of rabbits over her head, maintaining eye contact with the hunter. She tossed the meat towards Daryl, who took a small step back as they landed at his feet. 

He glanced down at the meat, then back at the woman. She continued to stare, not moving. He slowly lowered the bow a few inches. She didn't react. 

"How do you know I have a camp?" He asked with a gruff tone.

She blinked slowly, "I see you out here. Almost every day. You catch too much for just one or two people." When she said 'almost' It sounded like 'oldmost', so he decided she was Russian.

He narrowed his eyes, "I would have heard you."

Her mouth twitched up in a small, cocky smile, "I can be very quiet when I wish."

They stood in silence for a few moments, neither looking away from the other for caution sake. Daryl gestured with his weapon to her bandaged side, "Ya bit?"

She shook her head. 

He furrowed his brow, "Then what is it?"

She raised a single eyebrow, raising the paint around her eyelids as well, "Are you worried?" 

He scoffed, "I just met ya. Why should I care?"

"You tell me," She shot back. 

Daryl opened his mouth to retort, but was interrupted by a low growling. He glanced to his right and saw a lone geek. His arm was rotted off and half of his face was missing or hanging off of his bones. He looked back to the woman, who was smiling gently. She waved her arm towards the shambling corpse, an open invitation for him to take care of it.

He looked between her and the geek before turning and taking aim at the dead. He delivered a clean shot in the center of its forehead, and it fell to the forest floor in a heap. 

He lowered his crossbow and looked back to the woman, but she was gone without a trace. He turned in a full circle, muttering a "what the hell" as he did. But she was gone. A strong wind moved the canopy above him, but went unfelt by him. The only sign that she had been there was the string of rabbits at his feet.

He looked around once more before picking up the rabbits and slinging them over his shoulder. He hefted his crossbow into firing position again and began his trek home, watching around him for threats warily.

The woman peered down at Daryl from the treetops, hugging the trunk and standing on a large branch. She tilted her head like a curious squirrel as she watched him fight through the brush. She smiled and chuckled when she heard him curse at another catchy thorn.

The mystery woman looked down before stepping off the branch to jump to the ground below.

○○○○○

When Daryl finally got back to camp, he was deep in thought. He went straight to the chair outside of his and Merle's tent to begin skinning the rabbits. He almost didn't notice the thin brunette approach him.

"That's quite a catch you've got today," She was trying to make conversation. Daryl didn't want to deal with her today, so he just grunted in reply.

"Do you need any help?" She was still pushing. 

"Don't you have a kid to watch or something?" Daryl couldn't help but snap. He knew that was rude, and that her husband's death had been hard on her, but he was really irritable right now. The woman he met in the woods occupied all of his thoughts.

Lori huffed but stomped off. Daryl returned his thoughts to the woman as he skinned the rabbits. She was there and gone so fast he was doubting her existence. Maybe he was going crazy. He decided to look around that area again, try and find some tracks or other evidence. 

○○○○○

The next morning Daryl was awake before everyone else and ready to go. He slid down the ridge on the edge of the camp opposite the quarry and began the trek back to the grounds.

He arrived sooner than he expected, around mid day or so. He took a swig from his water bottle and sighed. It was extremely hot today. His sweat clung to his skin like a film, and couldn't be rubbed off. He was uncomfortable, hot, and now aimless. He didn't see any trace of her anywhere.

"You came back."

The familiar accented voice spoke up behind him. He jumped and faced the source, weapon raised. The woman from the day before, looking exactly the same as she did yesterday, stood right down to the fresh bandages around her waist. 

"Yeah," He lowered his bow completely, "Why did you help me the other day?" 

Her analyzing eyes were on him again and he felt exposed, "I am doing well for myself. You needed help. You have kids to take care of, I do not." She answered as if it was a calculating question.

Daryl gave a small nod and looked her up and down, "What's your name?"

She blinked, "You first."

"Daryl," He answered quickly, "Now, you."

"Faye," She gave a polite smile, "A pleasure to meet you Daryl."

"Faye?" He questioned in response, "Like the fairy?"

She nodded, "That's me." She had a teasing ring in her voice. "I wanted to give you something." She pulled a folded piece of paper from her coat pocket and held it out to him, her arm fully extended. She was still keeping her distance. Smart. He took it hesitantly. "I am moving on in a few days. I set up traps for game on the areas with a red 'X' over them. They are yours."

He looked up from the map in shock, "All of this? Why?" He thought there might be some kind of catch. 

She shrugged, "You seem nice." 

He waited for her to continue, but that was it. All these traps, a lay of the land, and circled areas of good game, just for being nice?

"Uh...thanks," He folded it up and put it in his back pants pocket.

Faye tilted her head, "Is something else bothering you?"

"No," Daryl realized he answered too quickly, "No. Was jus' hunting."

Faye nodded knowingly, "You wanted to make sure I was real, huh?"

Daryl scoffed, "I knew you were real." He turned his gaze to the suddenly very interesting tree beside them.

He could hear the smirk in her response, "Liar."

He scoffed and opened his mouth to reply, but she was gone again. "Ya know I really hate it when you do that!" He called out to the trees. No response. 

○○○○○

Daryl was still thinking about the girl when he got back to camp. He had checked the traps and reset them, bringing back six rabbits this time. Shane sauntered over to meet him.

"Wow, Dixon. Whatever you're doing out there," He took the catch from him, "don't stop."

Daryl was too deep in thought to protest. He considered telling the camp about Faye, but decided against it. She knew he was a part of a camp, and she had never asked to join. And she would be a memory in a few days when she moved on anyways. 

○○○○○

The next day, the Morales kids started coughing. Their parents tried to isolate them to their tent, but Carl and Sophia became sick by the end of the day as well. None of the kids could move without getting dizzy or throwing up whatever they couldn't hold down. The little Morales boy was only getting worse, and tensions were rising in the camp. 

Daryl considered telling Faye about the illness. Maybe she could help them somehow. Shane was wanting to plan a search party into the city to find medicine, but that would most likely just result in more deaths. Daryl decided to at least tell Faye what was happening, and let her decide what she wanted to do, if she wanted to do anything.

He began trekking back to the overgrown wooded area in the middle of the day. The sun was sweltering and unrelenting, but Daryl pushed on. When at last he reached the clearing they had met all those times before, he was parched and out of water.

"Faye!" He barked out a call, not too loud for fear of the biters, but loud enough to ring through the trees. "FAYE!" He tried again. Maybe he was too late and she had already left. He was just giving up hope when a voice hissed at him angrily.

"Will you keep your voice down!?" He spun around to see her standing behind him with a backpack. Her war paint was smudged in a different pattern today, this time branching up her forehead, giving her a mystic appearance. "You will bring every corpse in three miles to us!"

"Sorry," He faced her fully, "I just wanted to tell you what's happening."

She looked confused and tilted her head, something that seemed to be an expressive habit of her's. "What is 'happening'?"

Daryl cleared his dry throat, "The kids back at camp are sick. The youngest is just getting worse. They can't keep anything down and are coughing like crazy."

She nodded, thoughtful, "How many?" 

"Four." Daryl felt hopeful that she would help now.

She gazed into the distance for a few seconds, then answered, "Okay," She turned back to him, "let's go." She walked past him in the direction of the quarry.

"You'll help?" He jogged until he caught up with her.

"Well, yeah," It sounded like she said 'da'. She took out a canteen and unscrewed the lid, "Not everyone is heartless now." She took a swig, "Besides, I am pretty sure I could take you down if need be." She handed him the water.

He hesitated only a moment before he remembered that she had drank from it a moment ago, then chugged down a few gulps before he needed to breathe again. "You?" He wiped his mouth, "You're at least a foot shorter than me and a-hundred and twenty pounds soaking wet. Sorry, Tinker Bell, but you couldn't even--"

Faye ducked to the ground and wrapped her calves around Daryl's knees. Before he could fall she pulled his shirt by the collar and held him there. With her other hand, she caught the canteen before it could fall and held it above his head. Not a single drop spilled.

They stayed in that position, silent, for a solid three seconds before Daryl pushed her away by her shoulder. She released him and stood herself.

"That didn't count. You took me by surprise." He kept walking back to camp, leaving her behind.

"Well maybe we can wrestle for real, sometime." A flirtatious smirk graced Faye's face before she followed. 

○○○○○

They walked in comfortable silence until they got to the edge of camp. Faye could hear the kids coughing, and recognized the sound.

"That's whooping cough." She stopped walking and Daryl faced her when he noticed.

"How can you tell?"

"I worked in a hospital for a time." She slung her backpack off her shoulders and set it on the ground. She knelt and began to rifle through it, "I will need at least ten minutes with each kid."

Daryl nodded, "I'll have to talk to Shane about that."

She looked up at him, eyebrows raised, "I would rather get in and out without being noticed, if you don't mind." She pulled the red box from her pack and stood up.

Daryl was immediately suspicious, "Why?"

Faye tucked the box under her arm and cocked a hip, "I take it you did not tell them about me?" Daryl shook his head, "Do you really think they would let a stranger near your kids in the middle of the damn apocalypse?" She gestured to herself, she was dirty, and the paint and bandage didn't win her any beauty pageant points. Compared to the women at camp, she definitely looked like a threat. 

"I guess not," Daryl shrugged, "Then what do you want me to do?"

"I can handle everything if you can somehow get the adults out and keep them away from their kids for at _least_ ten minutes. I may need more," her voice took on a commanding tone, "Maybe get them to help with different tasks around camp. Keep them with you and away. It will be difficult if they're protective. You think you can handle it?"

Daryl nodded slowly, "I think so."

"Great!" She flashed a grin, "Let's go."

○○○○○

The sun was dipping beneath the treetops, casting light rays of sunshine through the branches. Daryl climbed back up the ridge to camp, waved to Dale, then immediately headed towards the Morales' tent. The boy was the sickest, so he would get treatment first. He tapped on the wire of the tent with an arrow and waited while the tent unzipped and Mrs. Morales stepped out. 

"Yes?" Her accent could be heard with every word she spoke. 

"Hey, uh..." Faye was waiting to sneak into the tent in the treeline. She gestured for him to hurry it up. "Can we um...talk, over by the trailer?"

Faye slapped a palm to her forehead from behind a thick bush in the treeline. He sounded so suspicious! 

"Uhm...yes." Mrs Morales tucked her head back into the flap and whispered, "Voy a ser novia de vuelta," She stood back up and walked with Daryl.

Faye crouched around the fabric and into the tent silently after Dale was turned away. Once inside, she knelt in between the children. The girl's eyes widened at the intruder and she tried to get up, wheezing. Faye put a hand on her chest and shushed her. She said quietly, "Cálmate querida." She flopped back down and continued to cough violently. 

Meanwhile, Daryl was struggling to find a topic to talk to Mrs Morales about that would interest her enough to stay away from her kids for as long as Faye needed. 

"So...how are they doing?" This was a good start. She immediately showed emotion at the mention of her sick children.

"I do not know...they are just getting worse." She wrung her hands and glanced back to the tent, "I fear that with no medicine they won't..." Her lip trembled and she burst into quiet sobs. 

Daryl had never been more terrified. A woman was crying in front of him and he couldn't just leave, nor did he know how the hell to comfort her. She buried her face in her hands and stepped towards him. Daryl took a step back.

"Uhh...do you want to...talk about it?" Daryl muttered it so quietly he hoped she hadn't heard, but she slowly looked up from her hands and made eye contact. 'Oh no...', Daryl thought.

Faye peered into the small boy's throat with a light. He was so weak already, and his inability to hold down food would be a problem. This was definitely whooping cough, along with a stomach bug. Both highly contagious but easy to treat with the right medicine. She pulled a vaccine out of the box and pulled off the cap. He shifted meekly and whimpered at the sight of the needle. 

"Oh, shh, la miel. Voy a ser rápida." She swabbed the area with alcohol and pressed the capsule to his skin, "Uno, dos, thres!" She administered the shot and swabbed the area again. She pressed a glittery pink band-aid to the area. She dug into her bag again and pulled out three cough drops and put them in his hand. 

She turned to the girl quickly.

Mrs Morales was firing off rapid Spanish, obviously distressed. Daryl just had to stand there and take it, nodding for her to continue whenever she looked to him. He hoped Faye was about finished. 

Faye crushed two pills with the edge of her blade and sprinkled it into a small vial of water. She shook it up before picking up the needle she had used on the boy and sterilizing it with a lighter. She sucked the medicine into the syringe and prepared to inject the girl.

Daryl found himself hugging Mrs. Morales awkwardly while she wept into his shoulder. He had never been more uncomfortable. 

"What is going on?" Mr Morales announced his presence when he walked towards the commotion by the RV. Mrs Morales turned to her husband and hugged him instead. Daryl was relieved but knew he had to keep them both distracted now.

"Just...checking in." Daryl's lame excuse flew past his lips before he could stop it. Well if they weren't suspicious now, they definitely were now. He wished Faye would hurry the hell up, already.

"Darling, why are you crying?" Mr Morales held his wife's face in his hands. She began speaking fast Spanish again. Daryl looked back to the tent at the first sign of movement. Faye was skulking out of the tent, she caught his eye and held a thumbs up before running back down to the woods. 

"Well, you've got this handled so...bye." Daryl couldn't get away fast enough. By now the sun was out of sight, but it wasn't quite dark yet.

Daryl found Faye staring at Lori and Carl's tent. She could hear the coughing from inside, and came to the same conclusion. Whooping cough. Daryl joined her and watched around the tent.

She dug into the box and pulled two pills out. She began crushing them up and put them in the same vial as before. 

"What're you doing?" Daryl peered over her shoulder.

"I gave the Spanish boy my only official antibody vaccine. Now," She sterilized the needle, "I am improvising." 

"If _any_ of these kids don't make it," He voiced threateningly.

"You will hang me with my small intestine. I understand." She didn't even look up when she set down her supplies.

He blinked and stepped away from her as she stood and stalked towards the treeline. Daryl walked past her and tapped the top of the tent with an arrow like he had before. Lori emerged, a wet cloth in her hand. 

"Yes, Daryl?" She sounded tired and stressed.

"Shane wanted to see you." Daryl knew that would get her away for a bit.

She sighed, "Will you watch Carl for a bit? I'll be right back."

He nodded as she climbed out of the tent. After a glance up at Dale, he flashed a hand signal back at Faye and she scurried into the tent and out of Daryl's sight. He sighed. She'd better hurry if she wanted to do this before nightfall.

In the tent, Carl was turned on his side facing the wall. Faye picked up the damp rag and wrung it out in the small bowl they had. She draped the cool rag over the boy's eyes and set to work. 

Carl murmured in a scratchy voice, "Mom...?"

Faye started to hum softly to calm him down. Luckily, he seemed to be too disoriented to recognize that she was not his mother. He sighed softly and began to drift off again. Faye swabbed his arm and injected the medicine quickly. He flinched and tried to turn around to see what had caused the prick, but Faye had already smoothed a band-aid on his arm and left. When Carl did finally turn around and get the cloth off his eyes, all he saw was three cough drops on the floor of the bare tent.

○○○○○

Lori made her way back to the tent. "Shane didn't need me."

"Oh," Daryl shrugged, "Musta' misheard." He walked back into camp nonchalantly. Lori scoffed and ducked back into the tent. 

Daryl dodged back into the treeline and found Faye a ways down the ridge hanging her backpack on a low branch. She pulled out the same two pills and began to crush them with her blade. 

"Did you help him?" Daryl crouched next to her.

"Yes," She sterilized the needle and plunged it into the elixir, "but we must do the last one quick. The boy knows someone else helped him, and he is aware enough to tell his mother." She stood, needle and band aids ready in hand. 

Daryl nodded, "I'll just say I found some beer or somethin'. That'll get her deadbeat dad out of the way. But the girl's mom isn't going to leave her alone."

"She is already asleep, I think," Faye squinted at the tent, "I can see two outlines lying down, and one big one sitting down drinking something."

Daryl scoffed, "Yeah. That'd be him. I'll get him." 

Faye nodded, "Oh, one more thing." She pulled a small jar out of her pocket, "They are sick because of the water. Boiling is not enough to kill all parasites. Put one of these in each bucket to make it a little better." 

Daryl took the jar and read the label, and sure enough, it read that they were survival supplements. "Thanks," He tucked the jar into his pocket. Faye nodded and crouched towards the tent, ready to pounce.

He turned and walked to the tent. Once close enough, he whisper shouted, "Hey, Ed. I found a big box of cigars. I got 'em by the trailer if ya wanna call dibs on a couple." Daryl side stepped away from the entrance once he was done.

Almost immediately the tent started to unzip, and Ed came lumbering out. Faye walked up to the tent casually, "What a disappointment," She whispered to Daryl before ducking in quietly. Daryl scoffed, but it could have been a laugh at her deadpan tone.

She cautiously stepped over Carol and sat on her heels next to Sophia, who was panting with a heavy fever. She placed the back of her hand on the girl's forehead, and sure enough, she was burning up. The girl woke up, groggy. 

"Who're you?", the small girl slurred. Faye swabbed her arm and smiled down at her.

"I'm a fairy," She whispered, "before all of this I was a tooth fairy, but now I help children get better when they are sick."

"Really?" Sophia's eyes widened in wonder. She was so preoccupied she didn't even react to the prick on her arm as Faye injected the makeshift medicine into her arm. 

"Really," Faye put the band-aid on her arm, "Go back to sleep, okay? You're going to feel a lot better tomorrow." She brushed a strand of hair out of Sophia's face and stood quietly. 

The blonde girl blinked her eyes closed slowly and fell back asleep. Faye stepped back over Carol's body and was almost back out the of the tent when Ed's booming voice rang through the camp, "DIXON!"

Carol jumped awake at the shout and saw Faye's unfamiliar form in her tent doorway. She let out a long, high, alarming scream. This alerted the rest of the camp and chaos broke out. 

"CAROL!!" Shane and T-Dog were sprinting towards her tent carrying rifles. Faye shoved the flap aside and saw them coming. She glanced at Daryl, who stood not two feet from her, and turned back towards the forest. She sprinted down the line of tents, hoping to escape back into the safety of the trees. Daryl was waving his arms and shouting for them to "DON'T SHOOT!! DON'T SHOOT!", but the two paid him no mind. Shane stopped running and took aim at her retreating form. 

Daryl pushed the gun barrel down before he could take the shot, "Don't you hear me!? I said 'don't shoot'!!" Shane wrenched the rifle away from his grasp. 

Faye had tried to slide back into the trees, but found herself blocked by who she would later know as Merle. The larger man took a hold of her arm and pulled her up to his eye level, "Where do you think you're going, sweetheart?" His breath smelled of whiskey and cigarettes, which made Faye gag. 

She tried to yank her arm back to score a hit at his face, but he caught her other wrist and spun her so her back was to him and her wrists were secured in his grasp. Faye wriggled a little and shifted her shoulders. She launched her legs into the air and rolled over his back, twisting her legs around the back of his head and bent backwards, pulling him to the ground with her. The onlookers were startled at her display of acrobatics, but didn't drop their aim.

He grunted at the impact and immediately tried to grasp her foot. She rolled away from him and stood from a crouch. Faye glanced at Daryl, who was watching from next to Shane, like she was trying to warn him that she was losing her patience. The former officer snatched his gun back up to aim at her once he recovered from his own shock. The rest of the adults in camp had emerged from their tents at the first shout and stood on the sidelines watching the conflict.

Faye eyed the gun and slowly raised her hands, palms forward in clear surrender. Her eyes looked malicious, however, and Daryl knew she was about to make a move.

"Faye..." Daryl put himself in front of her but not in the line of fire, "he'll understand. Just stop."

"You know her?!" Lori screeched from the edge of camp.

"She's a doctor!" Daryl had never spoken as loud as he did right then in front of any camp members. "She wanted to help the kids."

"You gave her access to our children?!" Shane was facing Daryl, the rifle forgotten in his hands.

The shouts of outrage were interrupted when Merle tackled Faye back to the ground. He pinned her arms across her chest. She tried to knee him in the groin but he kneeled on her thighs, trapping her. She grunted and let her head fall back to the ground in defeat. 

"Who are you?" Shane was back, standing over her pinned body, "Why are you here?" 

Faye glared up at him and only gave a huff of frustration in response. A small voice spoke up from by the tents, "She's a fairy..." All eyes turned to the small girl. Sophia rubbed her eyes and carefully stepped out of the tent, a little wobbly but upright. Carol jumped to help her and hold her close.

"Sophia baby what are you doing out of bed?! You're sick!" Carol began to fuss over her dutifully. But Sophia just shook her head, "I feel a lot better now, Mommy. She helped me." Eyes once again returned to the felled woman, who still hadn't spoken.

"Mama why are they hurting her??" The voice came from the little Morales girl. She stumbled a bit and was still a bit pale, but she was walking and moving, more than she had done all week. "She helped us. And gave us cough drops." The girl held out her hand to display the three hard medicines. 

"Mom, what's going on?" Now Carl was awake, crawling out of the tent and rubbing his own eyes. 

Lori knelt next to him and put a hand to his forehead, sighing in relief and hugging him when she felt no fever. 

Faye took advantage of the distraction and got an elbow free to bring it across Merle's eye bone. His grip loosened and she wrenched her arms free. She pulled his head down to her's and delivered a hard headbutt to his nose. He howled and drew back on instinct, giving Faye a chance to roll out from under him. She launched to her feet and ran straight ahead of her, towards the edge of the quarry. 

Shane aimed his gun at her quickly, but Daryl intervened by pushing the rifle to the ground with a sharp, "NO!" The shot fired into the soil harmlessly and Faye leaped off the edge of the cliff. 

Everyone close scrambled to the edge and looked down into the dark water and saw...nothing. There were no ripples or sign of her hitting the water, nor any trace that she was even in the camp.

"She just...disappeared..." Jackie spoke quietly, but everyone heard her.

"Yeah," Daryl sighed, "She does that." And this time he knew she was gone for good.

○○○○○

Faye had been wandering the area a few miles outside the city for days now. She had come across a small town, only a few buildings in size, towards the end of the day. She decided to take refuge in a bar for the night , and hopefully move into an abandoned farmhouse to establish a more permanent base in the morning. 

She pushed one of the large doors open and coughed at the dust. She left the door open and slowly walked towards the back of the dining area and behind the bar. The sun cast dusty shadows over the chairs and tables, illuminating what was left of the bar. 

Faye dropped her bag behind the bar and sat on a bar stool. She sighed and rested her head in her arms, finding a moment of solace from the exhausting weeks she's had. A creak sounded from the porch outside, and she hopped off the bar stool and pulled out one of her daggers.

An old man with a snow white beard and a shirt that was too clean for him to be surviving on his own stepped into the doorway. He eyed the knife and held up his hands in surrender. Faye saw that he was unarmed, but didn't lower her weapon.

"How many of you are there?" She spoke in a rough and demanding voice.

"I'm alone," He responded. Faye could tell he wasn't lying and slowly lowered her knife, but not her guard.

"Why are you here?" She moved around the counter so she was standing behind the bar.

"I just need a drink." He sat at the same bar stool she had been sitting in moments before. 

Faye nodded and took down a glass, "Rough day?" She poured him three fingers worth.

"Rough past few months, if you ask me," He accepted the glass and took a long gulp. 

Faye nodded, "I understand," She rested her elbows on the counter. "What's your name?" 

"Hershel," He held his empty glass out to her. She poured him another three fingers. "And yours is...?" 

"Faye."

"Lovely name."

"Thank you." 

They sat in comfortable silence while Hershel drank, this time slower. The sunlight grew dimmer and dimmer as the evening stretched on. Faye took out one of her knives and started to carve patterns and foreign words into the tabletop. "You should be headed back soon. It's getting dark."

Hershel scoffed, "I don't need to head back yet. They probably just noticed I was gone." 

The sound of rapid footsteps marching up the steps had Faye drawing her second knife and holding it above her head, ready to throw. The door burst open to reveal two men, both armed with guns aimed at Faye. Hershel spun in his chair leisurely and waved his hand, "Relax, boys. She's a friend." 

The two men slowly lowered their weapons, and Faye lowered hers once they were down. She placed one knife on the bar in front of her and pulled out two more glasses, "Well, Hershel it looks like you're more important than you think." She slid a glass towards the Asian, then the taller white man. 

The two took in her rugged appearance, army coat, and smudged eye paint. The white one approached first and held out and hand, "Rick," She looked down at his hand, marveling internally at how clean it was.

"Faye," She grasped his hand firmly and shook. When he pulled it back, his tanned skin was significantly darker with the dirt from hers. She looked to the Asian seated at the end of the bar. He nodded her way nervously, "Glenn." She nodded in return.

"Can we have a second with Hershel here?" Rick asked, moving next to the man. Faye narrowed her eyes and leaned next to the older man's ear, "Are you safe with them? I can help if you need it."

He shook his head somberly, "I'm safe with them. Well," He gulped down the last of whiskey in his glass, "as safe as anyone can be nowadays, I guess."

Faye nodded and hefted her bag back up from behind the counter. She glanced at each of the men's stone faces before she retreated to the back room. 

She began to pull her pack apart to prepare for sleep. She had just gotten her toothbrush out when the door opened again and a loud voice spoke up, "Well look at that, Tony! They are alive!"

Great.

○○○○○

Faye moved around the hall leading back to the bar, hunched over with one throwing knife in her left hand and a long serrated blade in her right. She heard tensions rise and her gaze fell on a portly man readying his shotgun to fire. The other man who was out of sight was still talking loudly. About how he'll take their farm or some shit. 

She saw Glenn flinch his gun up after a loud noise echoed in the small space. The large one jerked his gun up to aim at Hershel, and Faye acted. She launched off the ground and onto the counter top, then onto his back. He fired his gun in shock, but her disturbance was enough to throw off his aim so he didn't hit anyone. She tightened her legs and raised her bigger knife to stab the side of his neck. He dropped the gun and gurgled, clutching at his throat in vain. Faye yanked the blade out as he fell to his knees, then rolled off of him into a crouch. He twitched and then stilled. Faye stood slowly, not even breathing hard after the struggle. She flicked a few drops of blood off of her knife casually and turned to face the men.

Rick was the only one who didn't look absolutely shell shocked. Rather, his brows were raised in interest and surprise. Glenn and Hershel looked horrified at the two dead bodies around them and the man guessed Rick killed. Hershel was staring at her like he just found out his youngest daughter had a secret tattoo. 

Faye waved her bloody knife at the dead man, "What? He was going to shoot an old man. It's not right." She snapped. 

Glenn nodded quickly, like he was afraid to disagree with her actions. Hershel looked away, and Rick just nodded. "We should get back," He holstered his weapon. 

Faye mumbled, "Not even a thank you..." Then drew her knife and said normally, "I'll change buildings for the night to avoid any others." Glenn opened his mouth, but was interrupted by the sound of a car pulling up. 

The four ducked below the sight lines of the window. Rick drew his gun again and slid against the door. Faye stayed behind a table and picked up Tony's shotgun to aim over the top of the wood and through the window. Glenn and Hershel had crawled next to Rick by the door and mimicked his position. 

Faye tuned out the conversation the men outside were having. She was ready to fire at the first sign of danger, and saw it when Rick called through the door, "They drew on us!"

Silence.

Faye took a deep breath in, then out to slow her heartbeat. It was about to get ugly.

○○○○○

Faye found herself leading Glenn down the stairs to the back of the bar, holding the shotgun aloft and keeping her steps quiet. Glenn however tripped behind her and knocked a jar on a shelf next to them onto the floor. It shattered loudly and Faye whipped her head around to glare at the taller man. Her war paint made her look that much more intimidating.

Glenn whispered a short "Sorry," and Faye rolled her eyes. 

The knob on the door ahead of them began to turn slowly with small clicks. Faye aimed the gun at the window and fired once. The door flew open with the newly shot body weighing on it, dead. 

Faye cocked the gun and descended the steps. Glenn gulped audibly and followed. Faye stopped next to the body to check for life and pull his gun from underneath him while Glenn wandered past her to glance out of the doorway. 

The radio on the man's belt crackled and she heard a gruff voice, "I've got one in my sights in the back." Faye's eyes widened and she shot to her feet. A different voice responded, "Take him out." A gunshot rang out not a moment after.

○○○○○

Faye leaped to her feet and took a long stride to stand in front of Glenn and grasp his shoulders. She pulled him back into the bar roughly as the shot rang out. They both collapsed next to each other through the doorway. Glenn lay staring at the ceiling above him panting for a few heartbeats.

"Oh my god..." He sat up with a jerk, "You just saved my life!" His gaze dropped to the woman next to him and widened in shock and fear.

Faye laid on her stomach, eyes screwed shut in pain and breathing through her teeth painfully. Across her shoulders, blood seeped through the shredded army coat she wore, turning the original sandy brown dark red. 

Hershel joined them in the cellar, he immediately rushed to Faye's side and felt her pulse. "I can save her, but we need to get her back within the hour."

Glenn nodded quickly and stood, "Where's Rick?"

"Here," the sheriff ran down the steps and paused to glance at Faye, shocked, then to Glenn. "Help me get her up. Hershel," He handed a pistol to the man, "cover us."

Hershel moved outside, gun up. He looked outside slowly, then spun from the doorway and fired. The man descending the hill dropped and howled in pain at his blown knee. Not long after walkers shambled from the trees behind him, drawn by the screaming and the gun shots. 

Hershel raised his gun to help, but Rick shoved the barrel down, "We can't! Just go!" He hefted Faye's arm on his shoulder and she grunted in pain.

They made it as far as the street before stopping to duck behind the wall of the bar. Faye's head lolled back, her neck speckled with blood. Whether it was her's or Tony's was unclear. She cracked open an eye and saw Glenn already looking down on her with worry. "You know...I never did hear a thank you..." Her voice was slurred and she winced when she inhaled.

"Thank you. Thank you so much...!" Glenn picked up her hand, "Now don't die so I can make it up to you."

"No promises..." she slipped back into unconsciousness.

Rick gave the all clear and they hauled her up unceremoniously and dragged her over to their car. They pushed her across the backseat so she was laying on her stomach, and Hershel picked up her head to lay on his lap so her injury wouldn't strain. 

Glenn and Rick climbed into the front seats and Rick floored it out of the town before the other men could get back to their car.


	2. Benefit of the Doubt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just punch any Russian into Google Translate. It's all just curse words so far, though.

T-Dog and Daryl looked up from the supplies they were loading into the back of the car in favor of watching the familiar red van speeding towards the house. The car jolted to a stop and the three men poured out. Hershel yelled up to the house, "Patricia! Prep for surgery!"

Maggie and Lori had run to hug their family, but donned expressions of confusion when they were ignored in favor of someone laying in the backseat. Glenn and Rick pulled two limp arms out of the small vehicle and pulled the person into a standing position.

"Holy shit..." Shane broke the silence when he recognized the face of the strange "Fairy" from the quarry. Startled gasps sounded from those who saw her back, now bare except for her tight sports bra. Hershel had folded her jacket to keep pressure on the multiple cuts carved into her back from the shell shot, but even that was failing.

Daryl had just caught up next to T-Dog to join the crowd, but came to a screeching halt both mentally and physically when he saw who they were dragging towards the house. He had thought she was gone, moved on or dead, yet there she was. Whatever twist of fate had brought her back, he was thankful all the same. But he could see that she was fading fast, and snapped out of his trance of disbelief.

"Is that...?" Lori pointed to her in disbelief.

"It's the fairy!" Carl jumped in excitement.

"You know her?!" Glenn shouted back to the group in disbelief.

"I did," Daryl took his place under her arm, "What the hell happened to her?" He tried to keep his cool at the thought of someone hurting her. As to why he felt protective of her, he couldn't say.

Rick answered from her other side, "Ran into some men. They tried to shoot Glenn and she jumped in front of it." Glenn threw open the screen door and they clamored inside.

Hershel instructed Glenn to keep pressure on her back and ran ahead upstairs to get the guest room ready. Daryl twinged in pain when his side pulled, but kept pulling the more desperate need for medical attention up.

Hershel and Patricia had the equipment ready and prepped when they dragged her in. Glenn threw aside her bloodied jacket and it landed with a wet slap on the rug. He hefted her legs up and helped Rick and Daryl get her face down on the bed. Hershel strapped the breathing mask to her painted face and moved back to the tools while Patricia shooed the other men out of the room.

As soon as the door shut behind them, a silence fell over the three, a heavy contrast to the chaos that brought them there. It was broken when Rick turned to Daryl and said with worried eyes, "We need to talk."

 

Daryl and Rick asked Glenn to keep them from being disturbed in the living room, and he fled gratefully from the tension. Daryl sat across from Rick on one of the plush couches. He leaned back with a sigh and covered his injured side with a large hand. They both had some of Faye's blood on their hands.

Rick nodded at where he was applying pressure, "Do you need someone to look at that?" Daryl shook his head in response, and Rick dropped it. He leaned back as well and asked softly, "You said you knew her. How?"

Daryl shrugged uncomfortably. He had the vague recollection of feeling similarly when he was called to the principals office as a kid. "Met her at the quarry. She gave me some rabbits."

Rick looked confused. He knew how scarce food was, especially meat. "When you'd first met?" Daryl nodded, "Yeah, said that I needed it more than her. 'Cause of the kids."

"How'd she know there were kids in the camp?"

Daryl started to bite his thumbnail, "She saw me out there huntin' everyday, so she knew I was with a group. She asked about the kids."

"And you told her?"

Daryl shook his head, "Nah. I didn't answer. She just assumed. Then I got distracted by a walker and she vanished."

Rick raised a skeptical eyebrow, "Just, vanished? Into thin air?"

Daryl avoided his gaze and instead started to pick at a loose string on the couch. "Yeah. There one moment and gone the next. Only knew she was there 'cause of the rabbits."

Rick nodded, considering. "When did you meet her again?"

"The next day." Daryl sounded ashamed, "I wanted to see if she was real. Make sure I wasn't crazy, ya know?"

Rick nodded, like he totally understood. "What happened?"

"She said she was gonna move on soon, and gave me a map with all the game traps she set and a few good game areas." Rick looked surprised.

"A map of the whole forest?"

Daryl nodded, "Most of it. It's how I found that deer." Rick nodded, remembering the day they'd first met.

"I already know how she helped the camp and gave us medicine." Rick continued, "But what I saw from her tonight doesn't seem to match up to what you told me. She killed two men. Stabbed one in the throat and shot another with Glenn. She didn't hesitate. She's a threat." He sounded so sure of his conclusion.

Daryl scoffed, "Did she have a reason?"

Rick did the so so motion with his hand. "With one, yes. But the other could've surrendered if she'd given him the chance."

Daryl stood up in a huff, "So what? We gonna patch her up and throw her back out there? We may as well jus' kill her!"

Rick shook his head and stood as well, "We vote on it. Get everyone's input."

Daryl ran a hand through his hair and said somberly, "You don't know her, Rick."

Rick glanced back over his shoulder before he walked back outside.

"Do you?"

Daryl blinked when he'd left. He didn't, not really. He knew she could fight, give medicine, disappear, and trap. But other than that, she was just a woman named after a fairy.

 

Hershel and Patricia came back downstairs an hour later, looking exhausted. Rick and Shane had already gathered everyone in the living area to debate over whether she should stay or not.

Carl and Beth were not involved in the debate because of their age, but Carl made it very clear that he supported her staying. "If she's willing to risk her life for a few kids and an old man, she deserves the benefit of the doubt." he'd said.

Daryl silently agreed, but chose to wait until the meeting to say anything. There wasn't much talking going on, though. They were all just sitting around the room, looking to each other to say something.

Glenn was finally the one to break the silence. "What kind of accent does she have?"

Daryl scoffed but Shane spoke, "THAT'S what you want to know? Her Nationality? Not, 'will she kill us in our sleep?' Or, 'how do we know she won't just steal from us and run?'"

Rick stepped forward and held his hand up, "Now hang on," He placated, "Glenn, Hershel and I just met her, but you all know a bit more than us. So let's let everyone have a say and we'll decide when we're done."

He nodded to Shane, and he started again with an angry tone, "We don't know her enough to trust her. She's killed people and wouldn't hesitate to kill one of us."

Dale inturrupted, "But she also didn't hesitate to push a shot gun away from Hershel. Or jump in front of a shell for Glenn."

Glenn agreed, "She was just trying to survive, like us. We don't know her well enough to kick her out." T-Dog disagreed, "But we also don't know enough to keep her."

Daryl snapped, "She ain't a dog. She knows medicine and fighting. She can contribute."

Lori spoke up, "But how do we know she won't steal our supplies and run? Maybe she doesn't work well in groups."

Daryl narrowed his eyes, "Are ya forgetting that she gave meds to your son?" To her credit, Lori lowered her eyes.

To everyone's surprise, Carol spoke next, albeit a bit quietly. "She saved my daughter's life."

Shane seemed to be running on fury alone. "Yeah, she gave the kids drugs. At night, avoiding being caught like a criminal, and with HIS," He pointed to Daryl, "help! For all you knew you coulda been letting her poison them!"

Daryl's hands balled into fists and he raised his voice a bit, "But she didn't! Better than your plan to go into the city and get even more of us killed!"

Shane closed into his personal space and jabbed his sternum with a finger, "You took the choice away from us! At least if we went into the city we would've known what we were giving them!"

"ALRIGHT!" Rick shoved them apart, "Let's take a step back. Focus on the matter at hand. Does she stay or go? Raise a hand for stay." Maggie, Glenn, Hershel, Carol, Daryl, Patricia, and Dale raised a hand. "Against," Rick, Shane, Lori, Andrea, and T-Dog raised their hands. Rick pursed his lips and let his hand drop, "Seven to five. Okay." He sounded unsure.

Andrea stepped up, "I don't want her wandering around the camp. Can we keep her somewhere until we know we can trust her?"

Patricia said quietly, "The shed." But Hershel shushed her. "That's no place for an injured woman."

Shane leaned forward, "We'll clean it out. Make it homey." He spoke with a mocking tone. "But until we know she won't try and hurt us she stays away from the camp."

Dale and Daryl spoke at the same time, "Ya gotta be kidding!" "You can't be serious!" Dale kept going over Daryl and Shane's glaring match. "Like Daryl said, she's not a dog! We can't keep her chained up in some dinky old shed without giving her an opportunity to prove herself. Trust is a two way street."

Rick glanced around the room, and his gaze stopped on Lori for a moment too long, "Yeah well, that was before people were trying to kill us." And with that, he left the farmhouse.

 

The next morning, Rick, Daryl, and Shane made their way up the stairs to the guest bedroom. The sun was just barely rising, casting a gray light over the territory and a dim orange glow over the bedroom. Faye's skin seemed to glow gold in the light, her mid back and arms were the only exposed part of her body. Her shoulders rose and fell with every breath she took and were covered in patches of gauze and a few cuts had stitches. The freckles across her nose stood out even behind the smudged black war paint still on her face.

Daryl glanced back at the other men and asked quietly, "We got a shirt for her?" Rick nodded and glanced at her sleeping form before heading to Maggie's room to ask. Shane got impatient and moved to wake her up, but Daryl caught his arm and gave him a look that said, "Calm the hell down."

Rick returned with a large brown shirt and looked a little concerned, "Should we get one of the women to help her?" Shane shook his head and snatched the fabric from Rick's hand. "Waste of time," He grumbled before marching around the bed.

Daryl tried to snatch him back, but he grabbed her bicep and shook. Rick seemed to catch on to what Daryl was getting at a little too late.

Faye's eyes flew open with a gasp and the fist thing she noticed was that she was top less. The second thing she noticed was the hand on her bare arm, and the unfamiliar eyes staring into her own. She snapped her arm out and backhanded Shane across the face. It was a weak strike, but made him draw back. The motion stretched Faye's back, and she let out a pained yelp at the burning sensation. The pain made her vision swim, but she was aware of someone shouting. Rick had backed Shane away from her, but the other man was still spitting curses at her and calling her a threat. She quickly, yet gently, tucked her legs under herself and covered her chest. She sat up on her knees and drew away from the conflict.

She jumped when Daryl stepped into her line of sight, shirt bunched into a ring around the collar. He was looking into her eyes pointedly, making it clear that he wasn't looking at her breasts. "Faye, lookit me. You're safe. Ya remember me?"

Faye nodded, "Daryl, what's going on?" She glanced back at Rick, "And Rick? What is this? What happened?!" Her eyes were wide and jumping between the men like a scared rabbit in a trap. Daryl held the shirt over her head and pulled it down gently. She let him dress her and shook her head through the hole, then thread her arms through carefully, trying not to stretch her back or expose her breasts. She did so successfully and stared at Daryl for an explanation.

"Ya took a shell in the back for Glenn. They dragged you back here and fixed you up."

Faye nodded back at Shane and Rick, "And they're what, the welcome wagon?" Daryl looked a little uncomfortable and looked at Rick to answer.

The sheriff stepped forward and cleared his throat before stating, "We don't know you enough to trust you. You can't be near the rest of our group until we know you're okay around them."

Faye narrowed her eyes, "So I'm a prisoner." Daryl rubbed the back of his neck. She continued, "I saved your children! I killed for you and jumped in front of a damn gun for you people and this is the thanks I get?!"

Shane butted in, "We didn't ask you to do that."

Faye rolled her eyes and started to get off the bed. Daryl tried to help her but she slapped his hands away. "Well it's done now, bitch. So what are you going to do? Tie me to a tree? Lock me in the basement? Additionally, does it look like I'm a threat?! I can barely lift my arms!" She had a point. Without the gauze over her stitches, small flecks of blood were seeping through the back of the t-shirt. And she was stiff, like she couldn't slouch her back even if she wanted to, and she probably really couldn't.

Shane shook his head, "You're still a threat. Locking you up was the compromise."

Faye glared at him but was silent. Instead she marched towards the bathroom with the least amount of discomfort possible and shut the door behind her. Daryl sighed out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding and looked down at his boots. The men stood in silence while she washed up and used the bathroom, avoiding eye contact.

When she emerged again, her face was clean and her hair was damp and slicked back just out of her eyes. Daryl knew he could speak for all of them when he thought she looked beautiful, like she had survived and would continue to do so no matter what. Queen of the Apocalypse, he thought. Without the paint her gray eyes stood out even more, and her freckles were prominent across her cheeks. Her face was cleaner and looked a little brighter, but the scowl was still in place. "So what now?" She snapped, "Just lock me up already so I don't have to look at any of your ugly mugs anymore." Shane snapped out of it and growled, he reached out to grab her arm again, but she stepped back and crossed her arms. "Try me, bitch." He didn't try to touch her again.

They walked her out of the room and down the stairs. Daryl was the only one who noticed her skin turn paler after the exertion, but he didn't say anything. She walked with her head up and her arms crossed, exuding far more dignity than any other person would have in her position. They walked out of the house and off the porch steps, into the line of sight of the other camp members. All motion stopped and heads turned to get a glimpse at the woman. Faye, to her credit kept her eyes straight ahead and expression neutral. Carl did draw her gaze though when he yelled out, "What you're doing is wrong, Dad!" But he was shushed by Lori quickly. Faye and Carl made eye contact and she offered a small smile to him in thanks. He grinned back before he was turned away.

When they made it to the shed, Faye was quiet. Shane unlocked the door and let her and Rick enter. Daryl stayed in the doorway, in front of Shane so he couldn't get to her if he wanted. Faye stood in the center of the shack and glared at the men. "Okay, you did it. You brought me to my new prison without anyone dying. What do you want, a medal?" Rick glanced back at Daryl, looking guilty, before he pulled his handcuffs out of their pouch. Faye rolled her eyes, "это пиздец," But held out her wrists.

Daryl caught Rick's arm before he could cuff her and hissed, "This wasn't part of the deal, Rick."

Rick glanced around the shack, "That was before I saw how old this wood is. She could kick right through it." Faye rolled her eyes. Daryl tried to prod Rick against the cuffs a little more, but the man wasn't swayed. He cuffed her left wrist to a steel pipe running through the wall and tugged it to test for stability. He silently approved and stepped back. "You know it doesn't have to be this way."

Faye raised her eyebrows, "I never said it did."

Rick pursed his lips and admit defeat by leaving the shed. Daryl looked down at Faye before he left. But she just stared and said thickly, "It's okay. I forgive you." He scowled in frustration at the situation and followed Rick and Shane outside. Shane locked a padlock over the chain on the door.

Daryl shot a glare in Rick's direction and said, "That's the second time you've handcuffed someone I know to a pipe." Rick didn't respond. Shane took up a position to guard, but Daryl volunteered, "I'll take first."

Rick was the one to draw him back before Shane could protest. "Nah, I want you to do something a little more important." Daryl looked confused. The men all turned towards the shed when a sweet and smooth hum sounded through the old walls.

They listened for a few seconds and Shane grumbled, "She'd better not keep that up for long."

 

"Ya want me to interrogate her?" Daryl spoke a little louder than Rick had when he told him his plans. Heads around the afternoon fire glanced at them in curiosity. Daryl stood up quickly and jabbed a finger at Rick, "She already don't trust me, and I don't hit women!"

Rick stood up as well, "I'm not asking you to beat her, Daryl. This is her opportunity to earn our trust! You talk to her a bit and try and figure out who she really is. Whoever's guarding at the time will listen too."

Daryl shook his head. "I ain't the friendly type, Rick. Get Glenn to do it. Or, hell, even Carol would be better than me!" The woman scoffed but didn't say anything.

T-Dog chimed in, "You were the one she trusted back at the quarry. Maybe you can relate to her a little better."

Daryl narrowed his eyes, "No."

Rick caught Glenn's eye, and the younger man spoke up, "I'm sure Shane wouldn't mind."

Rick caught on quickly. "Yeah," He sighed, "And he could just start to question her right now. That would be easier." He turned and started to walk back towards the shed.

Daryl managed to stand still for about four seconds before he huffed and caught up to Rick with long strides, "Hafta do everythin' round here..." He grumbled and stormed past Rick towards the shed. Rick chuckled a little and turned back to the group. Carol was smirking a little and Glenn and T-Dog had traces of amusement on their faces, but Lori just shook her head and muttered, "Pathetic." Rick's spirits fell again and he shuffled on his feet uncomfortably before following after Daryl.

Daryl didn't even wait for Shane to move, he just shoved past him and got to work on the padlock. "Dixon, what the Hell?!" Daryl shot a glare back at him. "Shut up," He snapped before disappearing inside and closing the door behind him.

Faye stopped humming and looked up at him. "Trouble in paradise?" She asked mockingly. Daryl scoffed and slid down the wall opposite her. She had to keep her left arm up to hang from a pipe corner while she was sitting with her ankles crossed in front of her.

She was all spread out and comfortable while Daryl was hunched over with his legs and arms crossed. "They want me to interrogate you." He figured he should just be blunt about it.

Faye raised her eyebrows, "If you or anyone here tries to touch me, I will shut up like a clam." She sounded like she'd been in this situation before. For all Daryl knew, she had.

Daryl shook his head, "I ain't gonna hurt you. But it was either me or Shane so..." He shrugged and started to bite his thumbnail.

Faye scoffed, "I could take him. He's a bitch." She glared at the door as if she could see him.

Daryl sighed and leaned forward, "Faye, we wanna trust you, but with you actin' like this they're never gonna let you out."

Faye looked genuinely confused and asked sarcastically, "Acting like what? Like a prisoner? Well I'm sure there's a reason." She shook her arm in the cuff and it rattled on the pipe.

Daryl kept chewing on his nail and stared at the door. "Maybe," He said softly, "Maybe we could just talk?" he asked hopefully.

Faye rolled her eyes, "That wouldn't be fair. You know you'd be asking all the questions." They were silent for a minute.

Daryl was in deep thought about how to keep the group outside sated enough to not react violently to her. He knew she did everything that she did with good intent, and that didn't deserve punishment. But he knew that's not what everyone else saw. They didn't know Faye from the woods, they only knew her as someone who drugs kids at night and kills men with no hesitation. Daryl had to admit, he wasn't surprised that she was a killer. She moved quickly and quietly so naturally. And being alone was always a risk, but being a woman alone was practically signing your death warrant these days.

He was jolted out of his thoughts when she said softly, "Checkers." He looked at her, unsure if he heard her right. She said again, "Checkers. The board game. We'll play, and every time I jump you, I can ask you a question. Every time you jump me, you ask me one." She blinked at him, silently asking for approval.

Daryl nodded. He was willing to try just about anything to keep the group from executing her. He stood up and headed for the door, "I'll go see if we have one."

Faye rolled her head back and popped her neck. "Better hurry," She called after him, "I'm this close to dying of boredom." She held up a small space between her pointer finger and thumb. He nodded and shut the door behind him.

He ignored Shane and Rick arguing in favor of striding past them towards the house. As he passed Maggie he asked, "Where do ya keep your board games?"

She looked confused and asked, "Is this about that woman?"

Daryl nodded, "Faye. And yeah. I think I know a way to talk to her, but I need a Checkers game." The answer did nothing to sedate her curiosity, but she led him into the house anyway and dug up the game box from her linen closet.

As soon as the box passed into his hands, he mumbled his thanks and walked back to the shed. He got a few strange looks from around the camp, but ignored them. Rick and Shane were still arguing outside the door, so he shoved past them to get inside. They didn't even stop their yapping to acknowledge him.

He closed the door back behind him and shuffled in the cramped space back against the wall in front of Faye. She watched him move and eyed the box. "I honestly did not think you would find one. Alright," She shifted so she was leaning forward and crossed her legs to make room for the board. "I call red."

He set up the board and made the first move. He'd only played this a few times when he was a kid and had nothing else to do. Another kid up the street had gotten the game and he was just drawn to the shiny new look of the box. He also remembered that he was pretty good for his age, so hopefully he remembered how this worked.

She was the one to make the first jump, and he scowled. She leaned back against the wall and smirked, "Okay," It sounded like she was saying 'okee', "What are they going to do to me?"

Daryl shrugged and answered honestly, "Dunno." He kept his gaze down on the red and black board. "We voted on whether to keep ya or not. A couple people wanted to throw you out, but yer injured an' we know you've killed people."

Faye sighed, "shit..." And that seemed to be the end of it, because she leaned back over the board as well and watched Daryl move a piece. They went back and forth twice before Daryl's eyebrows raised a bit and he jumped two of her pieces in a row. She gaped with exaggeration, "Asshole! Did you just double jump me?!"

He smirked a little and leaned back, "That's two." She sighed, defeated and got comfortable for his questions. "What'd ya do before the walkers?"

She raised her eyebrows, "Walkers? What a fun name. I was a ballerina for eight years and eventually moved to America for opportunity sake. I lived in New York City and worked in New York Brooklyn Methodist hospital by day, and a dancer some nights."

Daryl tilted his head, "You were a stripper?" He didn't hide his surprise.

Faye grinned, "Yes. And that was your second question."

Daryl sputtered out, "Hey! That didn't count!"

Faye wagged a finger at him and teased, "I guess you'll just have to jump me again. My turn." She moved back over the board. He huffed but let it go.

He did end up jumping her next, and she whimpered a little with a pout on her face. "How many people have ya killed?"

"Twenty seven." She answered without hesitation and moved a piece. He froze with a piece raised over the board.

He sat still, like a statue while he processed the information. Eventually he looked up at Faye in a new light.

"That's including the men at the bar, of course." She said matter of fact-ly. Daryl nodded dumbly. They held eye contact for a solid twenty seconds, each waiting for the other to talk first, before Faye was the one to break with a defeated sigh. "Look, the club I danced for was run by a Russian mob called the Thieves at Law. I was always the one to go undercover at events and get the higher ups of opposing gangs alone and dead before the night was out because I can disguise my accent." She explained quickly with exaggerated hand gestures and facial expressions.

Daryl shook out of it, "You didn't say you were in a mob."

Faye shrugged, "You didn't ask. And they mainly just gave me protection, and only paid me at the beginning."

Daryl raised his eyebrows, "Protection from what?"

Faye tsked him, "Jump me, then we'll talk." He bit his lip and went back to the board. Faye jumped him next, and her question was "Who were you before this?"

He shrugged, "Nobody." She leaned forward. He leaned back. He was perceiving her as a threat now, and every move she made, from the rise and fall of her chest to the narrowing of her eyes, had him on guard. "Maybe I wasn't clear," She said softly, almost sounding maternal, "But we're supposed to tell the truth with these questions." She was less than a foot from him now, her arm stretched out behind her where she was gripping the pipe. Daryl's back was pressed against the rotting wood wall. He was trying to stay out of her reach.

"Tell the truth, Daryl. Who were you?" He stayed silent. She gave a lopsided shrug, donning a mask of indifference. "Okay. Then I'm done. If you won't answer, than neither will I." She sat back and gently let the wall support her weight. She just kept looking at Daryl while he kept his gaze on the door, lips shut and face stony.

He was telling the truth, though. He wasn't anyone before the world ended, and he sure as hell wasn't special now. He couldn't even make eye contact with anyone without wanting to immediately flinch away. He mumbled out an answer, "Was a mechanic, for a bit."

Faye's mouth twitched up in a trace of a smile. "What else?" She asked softly.

He shook his head, "Jump me." She snickered and leaned forward again.

She did jump him next, and just asked her question again. "What else?" He pursed his lips. He shouldn't feel ashamed by his past, especially in the presence of a Russian mobster with more kills under her belt than his brother when he was in the army. But he had locked that box up tight, and he knew it wasn't opening for someone he'd just met. So instead, he said, "I stayed in the state. Traveled around with my brother, mostly. Didn't do nothing worth talking about." He jumped her while he spoke. He was eager to change the subject off of him. "What'd ya need protection from?"

Faye sighed, "It's a strange story. But I will tell it, because I follow the rules." She shot him a playful look that didn't seem to match the mood. "I trained as a ballerina in the Vaganova Academy from ages 13 to 21. When I graduated, I came to America to find a job as a professional dancer, but since I couldn't speak proper English, I wasn't considered for a lot of jobs. Times got tough, so I started to participate in underground fights." Daryl could hardly beleive this. "I was good, and got some attention from the Thieves. They hired me as a bodyguard and I couldn't afford to pass up the pay. We got into some crazy shit." She chuckled. "Got arrested a few times, stole a few things. It wasn't until almost a year after I joined that I actually had to kill someone. They protected me from immigration and other gangs." She shrugged and moved her piece. "From then on out, it was just undercover missions and strip clubs."

Daryl sat in silence. He was not expecting that. She had killed before there was no one to say you couldn't. Rather than be deterred by her crazy back story, he just wanted to learn more. He moved another piece. Faye smirked and jumped him again. "What is my schedule in here?"

Daryl kept his eyes on the board and replied, "Two meals a day, three bathroom breaks a day." She hummed and they went back to playing. She jumped him again. "Shit, I don't know..." she tilted her chin in thought. "What's your favorite alcohol drink?" Daryl looked confused. Faye noticed and rushed to explain, "I don't have any more questions about what will happen to me. I'm improvising."

He shook his head and turned back to the board. "Whiskey." He mumbled and moved to avoid being jumped again.

They played in silence, both deep in thought. Faye was at war with herself, wanting to lie about her past but knowing that there was too much to guild over. If she lied about even one small detail, she would have to rewrite her entire back story. And she was too tired of weaving webs and having to keep up with where it started and where it ended. At this point, she'd rather die in truth than go on living her lies. It was confession time, and Faye wasn't going to clean her purse before she dumped it out in front of the redneck.

Daryl was trying to process the information, but was more concerned with whatever questions she would ask about him next. She was so open about her past, even though she'd probably done worse than him, and he knew she had no right to judge. But he didn't want her to know anything. Not about his brother, his old man, his beatings, or any part of his past that made him look pathetic. He didn't know why, but he felt more embarrassed than anything. Like she couldn't know about him or he'd burst into flames.

She jumped him again and asked, "You got a family?" Daryl looked at her suspiciously. She held up her hands in surrender and said quickly, "Just a question. You don't have to specify."

He glared at her a moment before saying, "Yeah." And that was it. He double jumped her again. She scoffed like she was offended. "How were you a doctor if ya were strippin' and doing mob stuff all the time?"

Faye smirked, "I never said I was a doctor. You made that up on your own. I was a janitor on night shifts." She smiled a little at his embarrassed expression.

His next question wiped it off her face though, "How many have ya killed since the world ended?"

She stared off a bit before she answered quietly, "17. But they deserved it, I promise." For some reason he believed her.

She double jumped him, and he realized how irritating it was. "What happened to the other three kids from your camp?" He stiffened, and Faye had her answer. She looked down, "Sorry. Do you know what happened to the CDC?" He looked up at her in confusion at the quick topic change, so she explained. "I got there about a week ago and it was..." she wrinkled her nose, "blasted."

He scoffed at her word choice. "Crazy scientist decided he didn't want to live anymore. Tried to take us with him, but he let us out in time." Faye looked surprised, "Oh. I didn't think you would really know. Good. Thank you." She looked back down.

They moved back and forth a few times before Daryl had her cornered and was able to get her. "What's yer full name?"

She chuckled, "Faye Katya Zaytsev." He grunted and went back to the board. She got him again and simultaneously kinged herself.

"Yours?"

He jumped another one of her pieces. "Dixon." She nodded. They finished the game without anymore questions, and Daryl won that time.


	3. A Better World

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: So as I write the chapters that take place at the farm with Faye being prisoner instead of Randall, I try to change the story to what it would be like if the prisoner was a woman, because, let's be real, it would be way different. And that's not even considering the group of 30 men they didn't really have to worry about as much. I hope my interpretation is up to par, and that you enjoy!
> 
> (I do not own The Walking Dead.)

Hershel walked into the shed as Daryl exit. Before he could pass him the older man grabbed his arm and hissed, "What did you do to her?" Daryl leveled his gaze at the man and said firmly, "We talked. Played Checkers." He shrugged his arm free, "I don't hit women." Hershel nodded, deep in thought, before ducking into the shed, medical bag in hand.

Daryl passed Glenn on guard without a glance and headed directly for Rick. The sheriff turned from his conversation with Dale and let Daryl join. "Her name's Faye Katya Zaytsev," He knew his pronunciation was awful but didn't care. "She's killed people, but she says they deserved it." Dale looked taken aback, and Rick looked stressed. "What else?" Daryl shifted the box of Checkers to his left hand to bite at his right thumb. "Worked as a stripper. Was a janitor at a hospital, not a doctor. Got involved with the mob a bit. Bad stuff, but," He shrugged, "I dunno. Seems 'aight."

Rick raised his eyebrows in shock, "Alright?! If she's killed, she's a threat." Dale intervened gently, "Now, Rick, you can't just deem yourself judge, jury, and executioner, here! This is a person, a real human. And you've killed before too."

Daryl narrowed his eyes, "What'd ya mean 'executioner'? You ain't gonna kill her!" Rick shook his head and shifted awkwardly. "We can't keep her, and we can't let her go. We can't trust her fast enough. 'Specially with Carl around." Daryl felt his rage rising, "You've barely given her the chance! You can't just go around killing women-" Rick interrupted him, "We can't afford to see gender in situations like these. She's a threat. End of story." He stepped back, "We'll do it at sunset, when Shane and I get back from the bar to get her pack. And that's it." He walked away, back towards the group. Daryl growled and chucked the box at the tree next to the RV. The black and red pieces scattered everywhere as he marched off back towards his camp.

 

Carl overheard Hershel talking to Maggie on the porch from his place in the camp. "How's she doing?" The older man asked. Maggie crossed her arms and replied quietly, "Better. We got her to eat and she's talking, but," She huffed and looked off before returning her gaze to her father, "The fact that Andrea could just let her keep that knife. And the fact that she wanted to die it's just...I can't understand."

Carl turned away from the conversation and stared off. He knew about Beth's suicide attempt, even if the adults didn't tell him. He was widely ignored in the camp, so it was easy to walk by conversations and overhear secrets. His wandering eyes fell on the shed where the fairy was being kept. He knew, of course, that she wasn't really a fairy, but Sophia had liked the idea and they would make up stories about her.

He glanced around quickly for anyone watching, and stood to walk towards the shed. Glenn was standing guard, but he stayed out of his sights and rounded to the back. The closer he got, the louder and clearer a humming tune drifted to his ears. It must have been the fairy singing. There was a precarious path he could climb to get into the small window at the top, and after reaching the windowsill, he peered in cautiously.

He thought she looked ordinary, for the apocalypse. She seemed a lot shorter sitting down than she did when she was paraded through camp. He remembered the smile she shot his way when he defended her, and how kind it had seemed. He realized he was gazing at her singing like a creep and shook out of it. She stopped humming and said quietly, "It's called Libana. My mother would hum it to me when I was a child." He stayed silent. She called out again, still softly, "I can see your shadow in the window. It's okay. I won't bite." She still wasn't looking at him, but rather staring at the rotted wall ahead of her. He cautiously made his way onto the loft, almost directly above her.

"What's your name?" He replied, "Carl. And you're Faye?" She nodded. "What do you do in your group?" She shifted so she could lean against the pipe behind her and look up at him. He noticed that her wrist was cuffed and felt a mix of relief and frustration at the fact that his dad had to have done it.

"Nothing. Homework." She wrinkled her nose, "That's bullshit. Algebra won't save you from the dead or feed you." He smiled a little and nodded, "Yeah, it's bullshit." She returned his smile. "You shouldn't be in here. Your dad will shoot me on sight." He shrugged and settled down to lay on his stomach, "I won't let him hurt you. What he's doing is wrong. You helped us and he's locking you up. This won't make the world better."

Faye chuckled dryly, "I think he's doing the right thing. I've only done one completely good thing for this group when I saved your friend, Glenn. The rest is debatable. I can't blame your father for what he's doing, trying to make a better world." Carl shook his head, "It was still good in the end, so I'll protect you." Faye smiled up at him again and said teasingly, "I've never had a champion to fight for me before. I feel honored."

Carl grinned and pretended to flex his muscles. Faye laughed a little too loudly, drawing a familiar bitch's attention. Shane kicked the door in, Glenn peering over the taller man's shoulder nervously. His gaze fell on Carl and he narrowed his eyes, stepping over Faye's legs to almost reach the platform.

"What'd I tell you about coming near here?!" The older man snapped. Carl was already scrambling for the window again, and Shane tried to step back over Faye's legs to catch him. Faye reacted purely on protective instinct for the boy and wrapped her calves around Shane's knees tightly so he tripped and caught himself with his hands. Glenn scrambled back to avoid being crushed. "You BITCH!" Shane roared and scrambled back up. Faye scoot back against the wall as he pounced on her, leaning over her and drawing his fist back. Glenn was yelling and she could see him trying to pull Shane off of her to no avail. He took a step back and looked between the conflict quickly before shuffling back and bolting out of the shed.

Glenn glanced around frantically before his gaze landed on Rick standing around the camp with T-Dog. "RICK!" He yelled and waved his arms. Other camper's attention was drawn to the commotion. Both the sheriff and T-Dog immediately started to rush towards him as fast as they could go at his tone. Daryl glanced up from sharpening new arrows and grabbed his knife to follow when he saw that something was happening in the shed. His pace quickened to a desperate sprint when he heard a feminine scream, ignoring the pull of his side.

He struck her left jaw three times in a repeating punch before Faye shifted her body to dodge and bit down on his other forearm pushed against the wall next to her head as hard as she could. He howled as his skin broke and flinched back. Faye used the opportunity to kick his chest back with both legs so he stumbled back into the rotting wall, screaming with the strain. It didn't break down, but it did leave a crack about the size of her fist. She swiped her legs back towards her when he started to rise, glare steady. She met him head on with a cold fire in her eyes that only a survivor could posses.

Rick decided to burst through the doorway at that moment, and Faye would have laughed at the guilty look Shane gave him if her face wasn't throbbing. Shane turned back towards Rick, mouth open to explain, but Rick saw his bloody arm first. "You're bleeding!" He reached out to see the wound, but Shane pulled back and stormed past him outside the shed. Rick glanced down at Faye before following. T-Dog cautiously entered afterwards, rifle in hand but not aimed at her. Faye just slumped back against the wall and let her left arm dangle in the cuff. A man with a gun made her less nervous than Shane. She let her eyes close and tried to block out the throbbing in her left cheek and swimming sensation in her head. Her shoulders had pulled and now felt warm with new blood. Shane was yelling outside, and she barely heard him accuse Rick of not looking after his son before new footsteps entered the barn.

Daryl froze for a second in the doorway. He was having serious flashbacks to his childhood, when he'd come home and find his mom beaten and crying and his dad drunk. She blinked her eyes open slowly, and made out Daryl crouching on one knee between her sprawled legs. The man held the right side of her face in a rough palm and turned her face to see the extent of the damage. "Faye," He spoke urgently. "Ya hear me? Can you see how many?" He held up three fingers. Faye nodded and said softly, "Three." Her tongue felt swollen where she'd bit it along the side. He nodded and left the shed quickly. He yelled towards the house, "HERSHEL! COMERE'!" Once he saw the old man rushing over, he ducked back inside the shed and talked to Faye again. "Yer gonna be fine, okay?" He ignored the way his voice broke. This was just as heavy for him. "Ya hear me, Faye? Talk to me." He took her face in his hands again and brushed her bangs out of her face. She nodded and said a little stronger, "I'm fine. I'll be okay."

Hershel's shadow took up the doorway, so Daryl moved back and left the shed. He blinked against the sunlight and his gaze fell on Shane arguing with Rick. He was saying that Faye attacked first by tripping him when he tried to go after Carl. Glenn was shuffling awkwardly to the side, and Rick was standing stock still between them, just listening. Daryl felt his anger bubble over and he marched up to Shane and knocked him one across the jaw so hard he spun and fell back on the grass with a grunt. "YA LIKE HITTIN' WOMEN, HUH?!" He delivered a kick to his stomach before Rick could pull him off. "He says he was defending himself, Daryl! Back off!" The sheriff was trying to tell him. Daryl shook him off violently but backed away from the situation. Glenn cleared his throat, "Actually, umm..." He looked a little uncomfortable when all eyes snapped to him, "She tripped him because he was trying to get to Carl when he was angry. Then he jumped on her and started hitting."

Shane narrowed his eyes at Glenn, who averted his gaze under the Alpha's stare. By now a small crowd had gathered around them. Carl jumped forward and yelled at his dad, "This wouldn't have happened if she wasn't chained up in the first place!" Lori shushed him and pulled him back, but he just shoved her away and ran back towards camp and into his tent. Lori sighed and followed a little slower. Carol stepped forward and spoke shakily, "I'm starting to see a pattern with all the violence that's been happening." Andrea was quick to jump to the man's defense and push Carol out of the conversation, "Don't you see she bit him!? She's a savage!" Daryl growled and made for her, but Dale grabbed his arm and held him back.

Hershel leaned over Faye and felt along her jaw with two fingers. She flinched away when he got further back towards her ear. He sighed and told her, "It's dislocated. This is going to hurt for a second." He reached for her chin, but Faye turned away and gripped her own jaw. She clicked it back into place and tested it by opening and closing her mouth. She said quietly, "Thank you, Hershel. I got it." The man blinked and just stood up. Hershel came out of the shed and announced, "She'll be fine. She popped her own jaw back into place." Rick ran a hand down his stressed face. "I'll handle this. Shane, we'll get her pack and supplies now." His tone left no room for argument, and Shane begrudgingly left with Rick. Daryl shrugged Dale's hand off his shoulder and took long strides back into the shed. The group looked to each other, confused at his concern for the prisoner.

Faye looked up when he came in. She smiled as much as she was able with a sore jaw, "Hey, Sugar. You here to kiss me better?" He wrinkled his brow at her flirting. He wasn't used to it, so he was drawn blank when she called him sugar. He just shook his head and sat down across from her. "You okay?" She nodded and rubbed her bruising jaw tenderly.

"I've had worse. I can dislocate a lot of my joints on command now, so I don't get hurt that easily." Daryl nodded in understanding. Merle had come back from combat with a hip that could dislocate without pain after being blown back by rubble. He knew it came with the territory of fighting, and probably dancing, in her case. "Really though," She said, "I'll be fine. He shouldn't have hit me, but I did trip him first." Daryl scoffed, "Y'ain't'd've done it if you knew he would hit you."

Faye blinked. "What...what is that word?" Daryl looked confused, "What?" Faye wrinkled her nose like she was disgusted to have to say it, "Yaintve. I've never heard that before." Daryl snickered, "It's redneck talk, Tinker Bell. Short for 'you would not have'." Faye looked confused, "So it's not a word?" Daryl shook his head, "Not...really. Whatever, it's not important. You need anything?" He got up and brushed himself off. Faye replied, "Do you have something cold? And I haven't eaten yet, if you have anything." He scowled. Of course they forgot to feed her. They couldn't take care of a damn goldfish, let alone a human being. "I'll be back," He muttered before leaving the shed.

 

Rick and Shane drove in silence the whole way to the town, and it wasn't until they exit the car that Rick felt he could finally breathe. They were able to pull up directly to the bar, as the town seemed abandoned again. They still tread cautiously through the long room towards the back, listening closely for any sign of life or walkers. Rick peered over the bar where he shot Dan and saw nothing but broken glass. Shane noticed and asked, "What're you looking for?"

Once he was sure that the bar was empty, he turned away to answer. "I killed a man over here. He and his buddy were saying that they were gonna take the farm and kept asking about any 'cooze' we had." Shane was eerily expressionless. Rick pointed to the area behind Shane and continued rambling, "Faye killed the other one over there. She probably came from the halls here." He brushed past Shane and headed down the back rooms. "Those other guys must've taken their bodies back." Shane explained away the lack of bodies. Rick felt an impending sense of worry.

They found her pack under a managers desk in a small office. "Why didn't they take her bag?" Rick asked. Shane shrugged in reply. "They didn't know where to look, I guess." Rick was still skeptical, but set his python pistol on the desk surface. Shane grabbed the black and blue hiking backpack and opened the top zipper. "Hope you're not planning on giving her any of this back." He said as he began to pull out the contents.

Rick shook his head, "I don't know yet. I don't want to just kill her, but she could be a threat to Lori and Carl...and the baby." Shane's grip tightened on a whet stone he pulled from the bottom, but Rick pretended not to notice. "You should let me do it." Shane spoke quietly. Rick shook his head, "Not until we know she's a threat. She got hurt for Glenn, but she also killed two men without a thought." He shook his head and began to sort through the contents of the pack that were dumped out.

Shane sounded frustrated, "If there's even a possibility that she's a danger, we should eliminate that possibility. I don't get why you won't do whatever you gotta do to protect them!" Rick kept his gaze on the items in front of him and focused completely on the contents of her bag. He picked up a small orange journal and flipped through it. He held up the contents of a page and displayed it to Shane, "She was telling the truth about being Russian." Shane narrowed his eyes at the blocky foreign script, and snatched the journal away. In the process, a small photograph fluttered to the ground. Shane picked it up again and glanced at it before shoving it in Rick's face angrily, "Well, she lied about this." The photograph was an ultrasound, and the date read that the fetus was over three months along. Rick grumbled, "shit..."

Shane pointed to it angrily, "Who's baby is that, huh? We don't know if it's her's or not! We just know that she's not pregnant anymore, killed two men just in front of you, forget her actual kill count!" Rick mumbled, "Twenty-seven..." Shane stepped back in shock, "And she's still ALIVE?! You even let your own SON talk to her!" Shane shook his head, "You can't be trusted, Rick. Not with the prisoner, not with the group, and especially with your family!"

Rick's anger he had been suppressing bubbled over at last, "Really?! I know about Otis, Shane, so you can quit the 'Holier Than Thou' act! It's kill or be killed now, we're all tainted!" Shane looked positively enraged and shoved Rick back a few steps, "See, that's your problem, Rick! You aren't willing to do what needs to be done! You couldn't have done what I did for your boy because you want to save everyone!" He pinned Rick back against the wall with a forearm to his throat and growled, "It's us or them, Rick. And you're losing sight of which side you need to protect." Rick shoved him back and threw a punch across his jaw.

"Oh, and you'd be any better?! Killing men, beating a defenseless woman; you're slipping, brother. We've all seen it." Shane roared like an animal and tackled Rick around the waist. The combined force knocked them through the thin sheet rock wall and sent them sprawling on the dusty wood floors of the next room. Two walkers standing between the shelves turned towards the new meat and began to quickly shamble towards them. Rick heard the groans and Shane looked up from on top of him to see. Rick took advantage of the distraction and struck an elbow across his eye while pushing him off with a grunt. The walkers fell onto Shane and tried to bite into his flesh, but he held them at bay and began to yell, "RICK! GET 'EM OFF! RICK!" Rick glanced at the scene from the hole they made and looked behind him frantically before rushing back through the wall.

Shane kept screaming and kicking them off, but they were unfeeling to his blows. Suddenly two gunshots rang out and the walker's heads blew forward in a shower of brains and black blood. Rick was left standing over Shane with his Python raised at the unmoving bodies. He sheathed the gun and held out a hand to help Shane to his feet. He hesitated a few moments before accepting his hand. Rick handed Shane's own gun back to him. "This is the last time, Shane. Your behavior is becoming reckless, and I won't make excuses for you anymore. Got it?" Shane nodded slowly. Rick pulled back and started to shove everything back in Faye's bag. "We should go," He muttered, "The shots probably drew them." Shane nodded and followed him back to the car.

 

Rick and Shane got back around evening, and didn't speak a word to each other, like before. Rick took Faye's pack to the camp, but not before tucking the sonogram into his back pocket. Daryl was nowhere in sight, so Rick assumed he was back in his own camp. He was wrong, however.

The ice that Daryl had brought Faye had long since melted in the humid shed, but her face felt a lot better, and Daryl was keeping her distracted. "A Chupacabra? Really?" She sounded skeptical, but Daryl was speaking in earnest. He answered around his bite of peach, "It's true! Ya can't tell me that'd be the weirdest thing ya'd ever seen."

Faye hummed in agreement and took a sip of her daily water bottle. "Okay," she mumbled and thought a moment. "What's your fatal and redeeming flaw? What's the worst and best thing you like about yourself?" They were playing an unspoken game of questions to just talk. Daryl found it easy to prompt conversation from her, and to give it in return. He hated to admit it, but her easy friendship made him feel kind of happy around her. He was only nervous that she wouldn't feel the same.

He thought for a moment, "I don't like talking to people. It's weird for me." Faye faked offense. "Then what am I? Chopped liver?" Daryl chuckled and took another bite, "Nah, yer different. You make it easy." Faye smiled. "And your favorite?"

This one was harder. He let the thoughts mull around in his head, but couldn't really find anything worth mentioning. "Shit, I dunno. I hunt. That's good for the group, I guess." Faye shook her head and sighed, "That's not what I meant and you know it. Come on, Sugar," She nudged his hip with her foot, "Dig deep." He glared at the nickname but thought as she requested. "I'm still alive. There's that." Faye rolled her eyes but smiled, "I suppose that's all I will get out of you. Now me." She tilted her head and looked off in thought, "Okay, I'd say my fatal flaw is all the murder." Daryl choked on his peach laughing and coughed up the piece in his throat. Faye ignored him, "Aannnnd... hm. Shit, this is hard."

Daryl smirked and bumped her own hip with his boot, "Told 'ja." She giggled softly, "Well, I think yours is your willingness to help others, even when you don't have anything to get from it." He glanced away, blush evident on his cheeks, "Thanks." He cleared his throat. "You too." Faye laughed, "Yeah, I guess I am a little too trusting." Daryl snorted and raised his peach in a mock toast, "Here's to being the most charitable motherfuckers left on earth." Faye tossed her head back and laughed, "I'll drink to that." She tapped her water against the back of his hand and took a swig while he took a bite.

She flinched when she thoughtlessly pulled on her chaffed wrist. She was trying not to move it too much so it wouldn't bleed, but that was proving to be pretty difficult. Daryl noticed and swallowed his bite before pulling a red bandanna from his back pocket. Without a word, he leaned over and wrapped the areas of her wrist that the metal rubbed against. She smiled up at his kindness, "See? Just like I said." He cleared his throat, uncomfortable at the praise, and leaned away from her again.

No sooner had Daryl settled back against the wall than Rick opened the door. He ignored Faye, and addressed Daryl, "We're meeting inside." The mood was sucked from the shed like a vacuum and Daryl stood up with a grim expression. Faye wiped away her obvious upset at the news that they were meeting about her fate again and waved to Daryl lazily, "Bye, Sugar! Have fun at your meeting!" Daryl grumbled out, "Whatever," and left with a quick, desperate, glance back at her. Rick stayed in the doorway and stared at her for a moment. Faye waved her left hand and smirked teasingly when the cuffs rattled against the pipe. A flash of guilt crossed the man's face before he followed. When the door closed, the shed seemed a lot darker than when Daryl was with her.

 

"Let's just see where everybody stands and then we'll work through the options." Rick looked around the group. Shane shifted from his place next to Andrea and announced, "Well, from where I stand there's only one way to go." "Killing her, right?" Dale asked darkly. "I mean, why even bother to take a vote? It's clear which way the wind's blowing." Rick shook his head, "I just want to hear what everyone thinks before we decide anything."

The room was quiet again. "She's a good woman." A few surprised faces turned to Daryl, who kept his eyes darting between the gazes. "Could be good for us, if we let 'er." Shane scoffed, "Your opinion's biased. You and her are all," He waved his hand, "buddy-buddy now." Daryl narrowed his eyes, "Well, none of ya'll wanted to even try an' talk to her. How would you know anythin' 'bout it?" He looked down and chewed on his nail.

Dale agreed eagerly, "Exactly! Give her a chance to prove herself!" The group wasn't swayed. "Look," Shane said, "say we let her join us. Say she is good, say she is nice. Then we let our guard down and she steals from us. Or tries to sell us out to that group those guys who attacked you at the bar?" Dale looked enraged, "So the answer is to kill an injured woman for a crime she may never even commit?" Rick held up his hand, "Dale, we can't afford to see gender in situations like this. If a person is a threat, we have to treat it like one." Glenn spoke up, "Could you drive her out? Leave her somewhere?" Hershel shook his head, "She's still injured. That in itself would be a death sentence."

Daryl huffed and rubbed at his eyes. These people were never willing to give her a chance, and sure as hell weren't going to consider it now. "If you were to go through with it," Patricia asked softly, "how would you do it? Would she suffer?" Daryl looked up in shock, "Hey, wait a minute..." He was ignored and Shane asked Rick, "We could hang her, right? Just snap her neck." Rick nodded, "I thought about that. Shooting may be more humane."

Daryl and Dale wore similar looks of disbelief as they looked over the counseling group. "And what about the body?" The question barely got out of T-Dog's mouth before Dale protested, "Wait a second! You're talking like it's already done! She's still alive, and breathing!" Rick exhaled forcefully. "Daryl says that she was a janitor at a hospital, not a doctor. She was in some Russian Mob before all this, and she's killed before."

Maggie raised her eyebrows in shock, "The mob? We've been keeping a member of the mob?" Daryl snapped to her defense, "It's not like the mob's around any more. An' a life deserves more than a five minute conversation." Dale nodded, "Is this really what it's come to? We kill someone because we can't decide what to do with her?" He laughed, humorless, "You rescued her! She took a bullet for you," He gestured to Glenn, who looked down guiltily, "She saved your own son, Carol's daughter, the Morales kids." Rick spoke up as well, "And she gave Daryl a map of game for the quarry." The leader sighed, "Dale's right."

Shane snapped his gaze to Rick. "You can't be serious! We know what needs to be done!" Rick shook his head, "No, we can't leave any stone unturned with this." "What other options are there?!" Andrea argued, "We haven't come up with a single viable option yet! I wish we could." Dale gestured around, "Well let's discuss." Rick protested, "We are." Carol spoke up louder than anyone had ever heard her, "Stop it. Just stop it." She met each of their eyes, "I'm sick of everyone arguing and fighting. I didn't ask for this. You can't ask us to decide something like this. Please decide, either of you, both of you, but leave me out."

Dale told her vehemently, "Not speaking out is just as bad as killing her yourself." Rick held a hand between them, "Alright, that's enough. Anyone who wants the floor before we make a final decision has the chance." He stepped back. Nobody met anyone's eyes, and nobody spoke. They each shifted uncomfortably but didn't stand to defend her. Daryl sighed and stepped up, "She's done more good than harm." Everyone looked to him, but he kept his eyes anywhere but their eyes, "She ain't never tried to hurt any of us."

Andrea snapped, "She bit Shane." Daryl scoffed, "Yeah, after he dislocated her jaw. He ain't the victim in this, Blondie." Rick nodded, "But if she's violent towards others she could turn on us just as easy. We've kept her prisoner since she got here, so she may be holding a grudge." Dale shrugged, "So what? We keep her locked up? That's no way to treat a person, Rick, and you know it."

Rick ran a hand down his face, "We wait a little longer. Keep thinking. This is...complicated." Dale scowled and snatched up his hat, "We should just do what's right." Everyone else was quiet, "Are you going to go into that shed and see how she's living? Or go watch her be executed? No, you'll just go hide away in your tents and ignore the fact that you're condemning a human being." He sniffed and shook his head, "Well, I won't be a party to it. This group is broken." He mumbled before storming from the house. Daryl followed quietly a moment after and headed directly for the shed.

 

Daryl was sitting guard outside Faye's prison with his crossbow draped across his crossed legs. They had hung her bag next to the door on a hook, the weapons inside had been laid out on the ground below it, next to him. He was deep in thought, hypnotized by her humming from inside the walls. Her song was mysterious and haunting, and had him thinking of what he could have done better inside the meeting. He should have screamed for her innocence, but instead Shane was even more enraged at her and would probably try to attack her again. He sighed and looked down. What the hell was he going to do?

Faye's singing cut off suddenly. Daryl looked up with curiosity, but that feeling turned to panic when he heard a scream ring out towards the fields closest to him. He stood quickly, and abandoned his crossbow in exchange for a lighter weapon, one of Faye's knifes, before taking off towards the noise. Faye stopped humming to finally settle down for sleep, but snapped awake at the sound of screams. She glanced around quickly before setting her sights on the hole in the wall Shane had left. She stretched as far as she could with her cuffed hand to look through the wall to the fields. She barely made out Daryl running towards two writhing forms on the ground before he tackled the one on top and stabbed it through the head. Walkers.

The rest of the group gathered around the felled form in remorse. He wasn't going to make it. Rick raised his gun at the man's forehead, but Faye could see his hand shaking from her location. Daryl took the gun from him and crouched next to their head. He must have said something before pulling the trigger and ending the suffering. Faye pulled back and ran a hand down her face. It was always sad to lose a friend. She didn't hum anymore that night.

 

Deep in the woods, a large herd of wandering walkers all simultaneously stopped at the sound of a gunshot. They turned towards the sound and changed route to wander towards the sign of life.


	4. Trust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: This chapter is pretty short, so sorry. But a lot happens in it, and we get a few funny/sad filler chapters after this! Enjoy, Babes! <3
> 
> (I do not own The Walking Dead nor any of its characters. But how cool would it be if I did?)

"We should do a patrol. Make sure there aren't anymore on the property." Shane suggested after they had moved Dale's body out of the field.

Rick nodded, "Shane and I, Daryl and Glenn. T-Dog and Andrea should defend the house." Nobody had the energy to argue.

Daryl stopped off at the shed for his bow, and stared at the door, but didn't enter. Faye heard him approach, then move away, and let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. She didn't know if the death of another person would affect their decision to let her live or not, but she found her nerves heightened by the thought.

She didn't know how long she just sat in the dark, unwilling to sleep and unable to do anything else, before she heard something that made her blood run cold. She perked up and listened harder, then heard it again. A soft and distant growling carried by the wind. She stretched back over the length of the small space and peered into the dark outside, and made out hundreds of shadows emerging from the treeline.

She stifled a gasp with her free hand and leaned back against the wall behind her. After a moment of getting her panic under control, she yanked Daryl's red bandanna from her wrist and began to pull on her hand cuffed to the piping, trying desperately to get loose. She bit down on her lip to stifle any cries when the metal was too tight to pass her hand, but didn't stop. She allowed herself to let a small whine escape when the metal dug into her thumb knuckle and tore the skin to the point of bleeding along the side of her hand. She jumped at the sound of a body slamming against the wall across from her and saw yellow dead eyes through the hole before a hand wedged through and began grabbing for her. Other snarling soon joined it, and she knew she would be overrun quickly.

"Мать ебет!" She cursed in her mother tongue and leaned back painfully. She braced her feet against the piping and ripped her hand free, screaming the whole way. She fell back to the dirty concrete, but scrambled up even quicker. She grabbed the bandanna from where it fell to the ground and leaped straight up to grip the edge of the landing. The doors caved in right before she pulled herself up fully, and she kicked away the rotting hands from her ankles. Without looking back, she climbed out the small window and onto the roof, only to see a hopelessly overrun farm.

Two running figures stood out from the shambling dead, and Faye was able to recognize Rick and Carl in the fray. There was a clear path from them to the barn, so she cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled as loud as she could, "RICK! THE BARN! GET TO THE BARN!" They glanced at her before heeding her warning and taking off towards the building.

She wrapped the bandanna around her bleeding left knuckles while taking stock of her situation. Her yelling had only brought more towards her, it seemed, and she felt the structure of the shed sway beneath her feet. Then, as if there really was a God looking out for her, a fleet of vehicles roared from the farmhouse, and an RV was on a straight path past her.

"Дерьмо." She muttered to herself before backing up as far as possible, and running straight for the edge. She leaped as far as she could and barely caught herself on the roof of the moving RV. She laid on her stomach and hung onto the maintenance hatch for dear life with the swaying motions, before the vehicle slowed enough for her to get it open.

She slid inside as it started to get moving again, and dropped into a bathroom. The hatch slammed shut again above her, which muffled the chaos outside. She was thrown forward and caught herself on the edge of the sink when the RV stopped and slowed very suddenly. She pushed the bathroom door open, and made swift eye contact with a man she's never seen before. She didn't have time to yell a warning before walkers broke the door open and devoured him viciously.

She slammed the thin door back behind her and took a swift breath to calm her racing heart. "Okay, okay..." she mumbled to herself. A quick glance over the small space revealed her only escape route, and she began to climb back up to the hatch. Walkers were already slamming at the door, demanding her flesh, so she quickened her pace and shoved the panel up with a grunt. She managed to yank her body up and out in time, only to be knocked back by a wave of heat.

The barn was burning in front of her, and the flames were scorching the side of the vehicle as they too caught flame. She slid down the back ladder, dodging hands, and made for the woods. Hands tried to grip at her, and tore chunks off of her baggy shirt before she could shake them off. Branches scratched at her arms and legs as she continued her sprint, and she dodged the grips of three of the dead before coming out on the other side.

She must have gone in a loop, because from here she could see the farmhouse and the fleet of vehicles swarming. Gunshots rang out and walkers dropped by the dozens, but she knew it was hopeless. A green SUV was nearing her, so she ran out, waving her hands, but they didn't see her and skid 180 degrees to where the rear was facing her. She kept going, thinking she could just jump in the back and hope for the best, but instead, the van backed up quickly to dodge the walkers and the side clipped Faye's hip, sending her sprawling. She groaned and watched the van speed away. The walkers ignored it in favor of a new meal promise; her.

She rolled over and started to run again. She was unarmed, scared, tired, and in survival mode. She needed to find a weapon, and fast. The Russian was so distracted, she didn't notice the body lying in her path, and tripped into the mud over it. A look at it's face revealed it to be Shane, pale and bloodied with yellowed eyes and a bullet hole in his forehead. Without any remorse, she looted his pockets and found nothing, but discovered a hidden sheath in his boot and pulled a four inch hunting knife from the body. She only stopped to mutter, "No hard feelings," before gutting him. Since he was already a walker when he died, he would work as camouflage for her. His death would be worth something, this way, she though grimly. Once Faye was totally covered, she stood and kept running for the road leading off the farm.

 

Rick's grip slipped from Carl's arm so he could properly aim at the small group pursuing them in the woods. Their distance apart grew with the numbers, and when Rick turned back to find him, he'd lost his son. "CARL!" He yelled and spun to see, but had to keep moving from the rest of his pursuers. "CARL!" He yelled, unsure if his boy could hear him or not, "GO FOR THE HIGHWAY! WHERE WE LEFT SOPHIA! THE HIGHWAY!" As he glanced around one last time, letting out an anguished sob, he turned and ran back towards the farmhouse. For all he knew, Carl was already dead.

The boy himself was running from two pursuers, and managed to hit one before his gun clicked, signifying that it was empty. He turned around and tried to keep running, but found himself surrounded, with no clear way out. He screamed when one lunged at him, but it was cut off when different hands gripped him under his arms and he was suddenly yanked out of harm's way.

Rick stopped running for a moment when he heard the scream stop short, and sobbed out, "No...Carl..." A walker reached for him and barely brushed his sleeve before its head exploded with a shotgun shell. He didn't react, just kept staring through the trees to where he last saw his son. Hershel pulled his arm and yelled over the groans and gunshots, "Rick, we have to move!" Rick glanced between the man and the woods blankly before stuttering, "Y-yeah. Get a car. We have to find the others." Hershel looked like he wanted to protest, but relented when he saw the look in the man's eyes.

 

Faye had heard a combination of heavy footsteps and groaning approaching quickly, so she'd scaled the closest tree as fast as she could. She saw Carl running from a small hoard, and witnessed him use his last bullet. He was surrounded, so she dropped behind him and pulled him up and aside. It was by pure luck that his swinging feet knocked a walker's head out of the way beside her while she pushed the one in front of her on its back with her foot. She set Carl back down and swiped over his head to shove a walker's nose bone into his brain using the heel of her right palm. The boy looked on, stunned, while she disposed of the last two by knocking them back and stomping their skulls in with her heavy black boots. She stood over the last one, panting heavily, and turned her wild gaze on him.

"Are you hurt?" She demanded of the boy. He shook his head quickly in reply, and Faye nodded once before grabbing his hand and pulling him back through the woods away from the barn. "W-wait! My parents, we have to go back for them! I won't leave them!" he asserted his statement by planting his feet firmly and yanking his hand from her. Faye bit her lip and looked between his determined face and the burning barn in the distance, and sighed.

She pulled the boy towards one of the dead walkers and guided him to kneel next to the body. "This is going to suck. Try not to breathe." Before he could ask, she plunged her hands through the soft stomach of the Walker. Carl gagged and flinched away when she smeared the back and front of his shirt with guts, but held still and let her finish when he realized what she was doing. "Camouflage?" He guessed, sounding strained against the smell. She just nodded in response as she was holding her breath against the odor.

When they both looked well and thoroughly disgusting, Faye took his hand in her bloody one and guided him back towards the fray. They walked slowly and made their bodies shamble like the dead so they blended in, and kept an eye out for survivors. Their gazes were drawn to the barn when it began to collapse in on itself, the flames climbed high into the air and sparked with the rising smoke. "Carl..." Faye tried to warn him when she noticed that a few of the Walker's gazes lingered on them too long. "The highway." He snapped suddenly, "That's where we should go." Faye nodded. Anywhere was better than here.

 

Daryl's gaze wasn't on the brightly burning barn, but on the distant shed being swarmed by walkers. He couldn't hear the wood splinter as they finally tore into the structure, but he saw the building collapse and crumble beneath their clawing hands. Faye was dead. She was dead from the moment Rick handcuffed her to the pipes. He had only known her for a short time, but he'd still known her. He didn't have time to properly mourn her, however, because he heard a scream ring out from up the road, and revved his bike to hopefully save the survivor.

 

Lori ran out of the beat up truck but faltered and looked around at the remaining survivors. Her smile fell and turned to a look of panic, "...Carl?" She directed the question to Rick, who bit his lip and avoided her gaze. "No...no, no, NO!" She sobbed and Rick caught her before she dropped to her knees. He held her and let his own tears fall quietly while the group was silent in mourning.

Daryl broke the silence and asked, "Where's the rest of us?" Hershel answered solemnly, "We're the only ones that made it, so far." Everyone told their recount of who they saw fall and how, and their souls grew heavier and heavier with every name listed.

Carol sounded skeptical, "You definitely saw Andrea?" Lori sniffed and replied hoarsely, "There were Walkers everywhere. Nobody could've..." Her eyes welled up again and she buried her face back in Rick's shoulder. "But did you see her?" Carol persisted. Daryl moved back to his bike and announced, "I'll go back." Rick pulled himself and Lori to stand and said firmly, "No." Daryl stared the officer down, "We can't just leave her." 'Like you left Faye,' He thought but didn't say. A fight was the last thing they needed now.

"No, she's not there or she's dead," Rick was back in leader mode while he spoke, "There's no way to find her." Glenn blinked in surprise, "So we're not even going to look for her?" Rick shook his head, "We gotta keep moving. There've been walkers crawling all over here." He gestured to the two a distance away behind Glenn. One was male and the other followed with its head hung low and shuffled in a non-committal way. "I say we head East," T-Dog said. Daryl picked up his crossbow and stepped around his motorbike, "Stay off the main roads." He took aim. "The bigger the road, the more assholes like these. I got it."

He fired through one walker's head, and he fell. The other's head snapped up, and her familiar face looked startled. "Don't shoot!" She called in a thick accent with her hands up. Daryl and Rick lowered their weapons in shock. "Faye?!" Daryl called back. A smaller form, equally dirty, peeked out from behind her and grinned, "MOM!" Carl bolted from behind her and ran into his mother and father's waiting arms.

Daryl set his crossbow down and jogged over to Faye, who was limping lightly. He reeled back at the smell and kept a couple feet distance, bit she didn't seem to care and just grinned, "It's a good thing you didn't shoot me first, huh?" He chuckled, "Yeah. Good to see you, Pixie." He felt a little lighter at seeing her alive, and chalked it up to relief that he wasn't angry at Rick anymore.

When they reached the group, the silence was so heavy it could be cut with a knife. All eyes were on the filthy woman, who swayed slightly and had to lean against the hood of the rusty blue truck. To her credit, she did keep her head up and gaze level at the observers. Rick asked carefully, "How'd you get out of the cuffs?"

Faye held up her wrapped hand and yanked the disgusting bandanna off. The wound had scabbed over, at least, but the group visibly flinched at the sight of it, Faye just smiled sweetly and answered the sheriff. "This was not the first time I've had to escape handcuffs, and I have a feeling it won't be the last." Rick nodded and stepped forward, mouth open and hand outstretched to shake, but Faye held up her hand to stop him.

"I forgive you if someone gives me a cigarette in the next six seconds." She held up two fingers and closed her eyes. Daryl rushed to place a stick between them and lit her up. She opened her eyes and smiled, "Thanks, Sugar." She exhaled all the air in her lungs and took the cigarette in one long, drawn out breath. Daryl was impressed, and T-Dog looked a little scared. She exhaled the cloud of smoke and flicked the spent cigarette aside.

"There," She said with a grin, sounding more relaxed, "all is forgiven. Well," She looked unsure, "there is one thing I'm still kind of pissed about." She frowned and narrowed her eyes with no real malice, "Who the hell was driving the green van? Because I was chasing after you, and you backed into my hip!" She gestured angrily to her right hip. "So who was it? I'm not mad, I just want to know." She stared them down.

Maggie slowly raised her hand and Faye stared like she'd been slapped. She stammered for a second and leaned back, "Don't worry about it. No, it's fine, I've had worse and I'll get worse. You're beatu-fine! You're fine and it's okay, so don't worry about it." she shifted awkwardly. Daryl looked at her weird and had the same questions as the others, but Rick cleared his throat, "We should get moving."

Wordlessly, everyone divided up into different vehicles, and Faye moved to get into the back of the pickup. Beth tentatively handed her an extra tank top, and Faye smiled warmly at the teen, even if it wasn't returned. She changed when she was out of everyone's sight at the back of the line. Before they were ready to roll out, Daryl leaned over the grate and told her, "If yer hip's bad, we can get Hershel to look at it." "No!" he raised his eyebrows at her quick answer, and she rushed to correct her mistake, "No, it's not that bad. And I can look at it myself, thank you." Daryl glanced around warily before leaning closer to her and asking softly, "Ya bit?"

Faye smiled reassuringly and shook her head. "No, Сахар. But thank you for worrying." She pat him on the cheek teasingly, and he pulled back with a scoff. "Ain't worried. I know you're a tough bitch." Faye snorted and chuckled. "Thank you for that, too. Now go on," she ticked her chin at the road, "it's time to go." He flicked his gaze back up to her eyes, but had to look away when he felt his face flush. He tried to look casual when he walked back to his bike, but couldn't stop wondering why he'd suddenly felt so embarrassed to look at her.

Rick approached when he was the last one left to board a vehicle and held out his hand, "Thank you. And I'm sorry." Faye gripped his hand in her's and smiled softly, "Anytime, Rick. It's really okay. Worse has been done to me by worse people. I'm just glad I found you and not the group that tried to kill us back at the bar." She chuckled dryly, but Rick was unwilling to share in her humor, so she dropped her smile quickly. He continued, "You saved Carl, so I think we can trust you, for now." He narrowed his eyes threateningly, "Don't make me regret this." Faye nodded quickly, realizing her place in this group she was now with.

She was to be on her best behavior, or she wouldn't have a group anymore. But she liked to be with people, and maybe it was because she'd been on the road by herself since the beginning, and only ever met people that wanted to kill her, or worse, but she wanted to stay here. She enjoyed Daryl's company, and recognized Rick as a strong leader, and saw that Carl was a scared kid hiding behind bravado. She wanted to know them more, so she would do just about anything to prove her place among them.

After a few tension-filled seconds, during which Rick sized her up to see if she was lying, he reached into his back pocket and handed her the sonogram he and Shane had found in her pack. She stared down at it, and her eyes began to well immediately. "Thank you..." she said in a voice so quiet it was almost a whisper. "My daughter," she explained with a voice crack, "I thought I lost her at the farm." He nodded, "Well, you brought my son back to me. It'd only be fair that I give you your daughter back." She nodded and turned away to lean her shoulder against the rear window of the truck, never taking her eyes from the picture. They began moving not long after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I had three choices here, and I went with the least climactic one for reasons that I shall explain later. The choices were, 1) Faye escapes alone and meets them again on the road so there's a bit of amazement and "how the HELL did you make it out of there????", 2) Rick refuses to let her join them because he still doesn't trust her and thinks she's carrying a grudge and only saved Carl to find the rest of them and get revenge, which would have caused tensions upon tensions and Hershel probably would have had a stroke or 3) everything kind of just falls into place and everyone is too tired to tell her to get out of the truck, so Rick takes a chance with her. I picked the last one for REASONS and so I could just hurry the story along a bit so I could get to the juicy stuff. Forgive me, babes! I still love you and will make it up to you! <3


	5. Bare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look up Russians/Germans trying to say squirrel, moose, and chaos, and you'll get what i'm going for here.
> 
> (I do not own The Walking Dead.)

A few days after Rick's "No More Democracy" speech, the group found themselves in one of the neighboring farm houses up the road from where the herd attacked. They knew they'd have to move on quickly if they wanted to avoid being pinned down again, so nothing was ever completely unpacked. Faye was still limping from her hip, but refused to let Hershel look at it, and it was pissing Daryl off. He had already tried every argument he knew to get her to get help, but she always had a quick comeback.  
"What if it's cracked?"  
"It's not like I can take a sick day."  
"Don't your pants rub on it?"  
"Not if I tie the belt above it around my waist."  
"Faye, you're limping."  
"I'm still faster than you."  
It was frustrating him beyond belief. Even _he_ had let Hershel work on him when he was hurt, despite his scars. He'd already seen her back, but her lower stomach was covered in bandages when he'd first met her, and her pants were always above her bellybutton. He knew that had to be where she was so worried about, so he confided in Carol right before the women went to bathe down by the creek behind the house. He knew it was at least safe from anything other than walkers or people because he'd tested for snakes and leeches already.

"Carol, do me a favor?" He spoke softly while Faye was turned away. He knew Lori could probably hear him, but he didn't care enough to get Carol alone. When she nodded he continued, "Faye won't let anyone look at her hip from when it got bruised. If it looks real bad, do ya think you could get her to see Hershel?"

Carol pulled her eyebrows together, "Why don't you just ask her yourself?"

Daryl was already walking away, but answered over his shoulder, "She's a stubborn bitch. That's why." Carol chuckled when she saw Faye look up and glance around like someone had called her.

 

Faye and Maggie brought two guns and two knives each to the creek, so they weren't completely unprotected. Beth handed out small bottles of shampoo and body wash from in the house, and the women began stripping down to wash. Maggie and Beth volunteered to keep watch first while the other three bathed, so they each picked up a gun and paced the small perimeter while the others got undressed. Faye needed Carol's help to get her shirt over her head, as her shoulders were still scabbed and stiff, but they were quickly bare and wading into the water soon enough.

Faye stayed waist deep the whole time, effectively irritating Carol because she couldn't see her hip. When Faye came up from washing her short hair, Lori complained from the shore, "I miss conditioner. I can never brush through this mess anymore." She emphasized her point by trying to run her fingers through the mess, but they got tangled close to her scalp, as expected.

Faye chuckled and shook her short locks out with her fingertips. Carol smiled a bit as well, "You could join us, Lori."

Faye nodded enthusiastically, "Yeah, we could make a rope out of what you have now." Lori looked horrified and shook her head, causing some stray wet locks to slap and stick across her face. The women chuckled a bit before going back to washing.

"How's your hip?" Maggie asked from the shore. Carol thanked her stars that Maggie brought it up for her.

Faye shrugged, "Doing good. Getting better, Милая." She smiled at the brunette and went back to rinsing her body. Carol hissed a curse under her breath at her vague answer, but before she had to ask directly, Faye caught Beth staring at her. The Russian grinned, "Is there something on my chest, Beth?"

The blonde turned red and immediately looked away. "N-no, I just was," She cleared her throat, "They're just really...big, compared to everyone else's."

Lori glanced at her as well, "She's right. What's your secret?"

Carol snorted teasingly and Faye smirked in a good natured way, "I wish they were smaller, honestly. Whenever I run it's painful."

Maggie smiled and announced, "We found a bunch of c-cups in the house. Would those work?"

Faye lit up and grinned, "The alternative is a bandage, so yes. Perfect! Thank you, Милая!" Maggie smiled back and went about pacing around her side of the water.

Carol decided it was now or never, and waded up to Faye. "If you'd like, I can look at your hip. I know it can be weird to have a man prodding at you, if that's the issue."

Faye shook her head and rinsed off under the water, "No, it's okay. It's not like I'll die from a bruise. And there's no way to clean something like this, so it's okay."

Faye turned away from her and rinsed through her hair once more before climbing for the shore. Carol followed and persisted, "Faye, I just think you should let someone know how bad it is."

The tension in Faye's voice was tight, "And I think that it's fine, Carol. Just leave it."

Carol set her jaw and caught her wrist, "Faye, if we have to run and you're limping, we don't want to lose you."

The younger woman yanked her hand back and narrowed her eyes, "Then you'll find out when we have to run. Carol, drop it." She turned back up the shore and looked to Beth to avert her eyes so she could walk out in privacy.

She toweled herself down and pulled on her pants first, pointedly keeping her back to Carol. The older woman huffed when she dressed quickly and took up a knife from Maggie, who began to undress for her turn.

Carol persisted while she pulled her own clothes on, "Faye, this concerns all of us! Just let someone see so we know if we should be looking for medicine!"

Faye snapped, "Niet!" In Russian and kept limping her patrol.

Carol groaned, "I swear you're worse than a child!"

Faye stopped and clenched the rifle with white knuckles. Everyone held their breath when they saw the tension in her shoulders and shaking hands. Faye gnawed on her lower lip and finally looked up at Carol. "Fine. I suppose everyone wants to know now?" The women at least had the decency to look down or away, but nobody said no. The Russian slung the rifle over her shoulder and started pulling at her pants, until she could pull the front down just enough to show both hip bones.

A hand flew to Lori's mouth and her eyes filled with pity, Beth gasped and averted her eyes, but Maggie and Carol just stared at the woman's lower abdomen. Her right hip was yellow and pink with a nicely healing bruise, but that's not what had them flinching. Two jagged red and pink scars traced in one line from beneath her bellybutton down met another perpendicular scar curving under her panty line. The lines weren't straight or precise, like they would be if they were done professionally, and the location, right over her uterus, gave the women a hint as to why they were there.

"You see now?!" Faye demanded and yanked her belt back up around her waist. "Are you happy? This is why my breasts are so big, why I didn't want you seeing my hip, and why I didn't want to join a group when we first met. People did this. They took my baby," She roughly strapped a knife hilt to her left hip, "RIGHT out of me, and now you know my tragic back story. So I ask, are you happy now?!" She snarled and met everyone's eyes.

The women just looked away, feeling guilty. Faye sighed heavily and moved back into the trees, "I'm going out." She offered in explanation before walking into the woods and out of sight.

 

The women returned in the afternoon, somber and downcast. Daryl immediately noticed Faye's absence, as she usually made a joke about wishing he could have made it to the bath with her. He caught Lori before she could walk inside and asked, "Hey, where's Faye?"

Lori pursed her lips, "She went scouting. But we should leave her alone for now. She," Lori cleared her throat, "...she deserves some time alone." The woman bustled away before he could ask what she meant by that.

Carol drew him away quickly to explain, "Her hip is fine, but we should just give her some space. Let her come back on her own." Daryl stared after her as she left, more confused than ever. He saw Beth's eyes well and snap away from his gaze just before Maggie pulled her into an a joining bedroom.

He was so distracted, he didn't notice Rick in front of him until they bumped shoulders. "Hey," Rick said softly, "You know what's going on?"

Daryl shook his head, "Just as much as you, I reckon. Ya know where Faye went?"

Rick shook his head, "Maggie said she went 'out', whatever that means."

"I'm gonna look for her. I'll do better alone." Rick nodded and dismissed him.

He was picking up his crossbow when Maggie left the bedroom with tear stains on her shoulder from Beth. "What are you doing?" She asked softly.

"Going to find Faye." He pulled his pack over one shoulder.

Maggie shook her head and said sternly, "Just leave her be. She needs some time."

Daryl spun on her and demanded, "What'd she take with her, huh? You had both guns when ya got back, and now she's out there alone." He scoffed, "She's being ridiculous again. Someone's gotta bring her back."

Maggie grabbed his bicep and pushed herself in his path, "She'll be fine, Daryl. She was on her own long enough to not be totally clueless!"

He was starting to get frustrated, "What's with all you women today, huh?! You're perfectly fine when you leave and now yer crying and getting pissed cause I wanna go find one of ya'll! The hell's yer deal?!"

His outburst brought others to the living room to watch, and Rick asked, "What's going on here? Daryl, just go."

Maggie remained where she was. Glenn took her hand, but she still didn't move.

"She's right, Rick. Faye needs some time alone. She'll be fine." Carol nodded, "We...we made her tell us some things that she didn't want to revisit. Just let her clear her head." Beth sniffed and nodded.

Rick looked between the faces around him and looked to Daryl, "How long until you go after her?"

Daryl glanced at the sun, high in the sky. "Three hours. Tops."

Rick nodded. "That's it. But just know, if she doesn't come back, it's on you." He gave pointed looks to the women and moved out of the circle. Daryl got past Maggie and stomped across the porch to sit on the steps and count the hours.

 

Faye withdrew her blade from the Walker's glassy eye with a grunt. She was muttering angrily in Russian while she killed off a small hoard of four walkers. "STUPID! So fucking UGH!" She kicked a walker onto its back and swung her foot in an arch to smash it's face in.

"You could have just told them you had it handled, that it was gross, just shown Carol, but _**NOOO!**_ " She grabbed a walker's forearm and swung it into it's friend. They both fell to the ground and writhed against each other. "Now they all know. They know how weak," She kicked the top walker's head back like a soccer ball to stun it, "You really are. Why not just tell them everything?!"

She continued in a mocking prissy English voice, "Hi, my name's Faye! I'm a Cancer, my favorite color's blue, and I like killing shit to calm down the stupid emotions I can't control!" She stomped the back of the top walker's head in like a watermelon and stood, panting, over to last one, trapped beneath his partner. She wiped the blood off her hands and knife on the dead one's shirt, and left the last one to groan after her.

She found the road and walked down the yellow stripped line in the center, arms spread to the side as if she was keeping her balance on it. It was eerily quiet along the roads, not a walker in sight and only wrecked cars to keep her company. When the traffic got too close to walk through, she started walking on top of them, and her heavy boots made thumping noises while she made small dents in the cars behind her. She eventually stopped, after the big traffic block, in front of a simple white mailbox that read 'Greene' across it, and recognized it from when she and Carl had escaped the horde. She glanced up and down the road for any walkers following her before trudging up the driveway.

She wandered across the empty property, stepping over the occasional dead walker and blocking out the smell with the crook of her arm. She stopped by the remains of the shed and dug through the scraps of wood to pull her pack free, then dig through it for her journal. She felt oddly relaxed in the open, despite being surrounded by dead bodies and burned wreckage, but she supposed she would feel comfortable anywhere if there were no walkers.

She flipped through the journal until she stopped on a page at the beginning, and almost immediately her eyes began to water. The lump in her throat couldn't be swallowed, so she let it out in a quiet sob. She snapped the book closed and hung her head for a moment, letting tears flow freely and drip onto the ash at her feet.

 

Daryl scraped his hunting knife down his whetstone in quick strokes, obviously irritated. Carl didn't let this deter him and sat down on the steps next to the hunter. The man only spared the kid a glance, before grumbling and going back to sharpening his blade.

"It's getting late." Daryl stopped sharpening his blade and looked at Carl, who was tracing patters in the dirt with the toe of his boot.

"She can take care of herself. It was her dumbass that decided to run off, anyway."

Carl shook his head, "She doesn't like to be alone. You should go after her now."

Daryl squinted up at the sun, "It's only been two hours."

Carl sighed, a mature sound that didn't match him at all. He stood up and started to walk back to the house, but stopped and turned up towards the road curiously. Daryl looked where he was staring and sighed in releif. Faye was walking up the long driveway, pulling a wheelbarrow full of supplies behind her.

Carl grinned and trotted down the steps to run towards her. She bent on one knee and held her arms out to him, and he threw himself at her in a tight embrace. She buried her face in his shoulder and grinned, "Sorry if I worried you, чемпион."

Carl nodded into her shoulder, "Don't leave again. We've lost too many people already." Faye nodded and kissed the crown of his head before directing her attention to Daryl's approaching figure.

He stopped in front of her and had to look down to meet her eyes. "Ya bit?" He asked, monotone. Faye shook her head.

"Good. Don't go off alone again. It's dangerous." He tried his best to sound stern.

Faye smiled, Carl was still gripping around her waist while she stood. "I know," she straightened, "But I can't promise, and you know that." His jaw was set, but he didn't say anything else.

"Come on," Faye pushed Carl back and picked up the wheelbarrow again, "I grabbed your homework from the farm. It will make good kindling." Carl grinned and jogged back up to the house, leaving Faye with the stewing redneck.

Faye avoided his eyes, but said, "Next time I plan to go scavenging alone, I will ask you to come with me." Daryl supposed that was the best she would give him, so he huffed and followed her back to the house.

Glenn and Beth root through the wheelbarrow on the porch while Faye went inside. Daryl glanced into the wheelbarrow and saw their tents and supplies, along with a few arrows he recognized for his crossbow. He grabbed them and shoved them in his back pocket before heading inside.

Rick had already gotten a hold of Faye and was talking to her in what they had all come to recognize as his 'sheriff voice' quietly. Faye was staring at the floor, looking guilty like a scolded child, with her arms crossed. Daryl moved past her and into the living room.

"What you did was foolish, you understand that right?" Rick kept his tone low and menacing, "By leaving, you left us more exposed than ever, and we were gonna send people out to look for you. That woulda left us even weaker, with no way to contact you. Hell, Daryl was anxious out of his skin waiting for you to come back!" Faye shuffled uncomfortably.

"Now, I don't know what made you run off like that, and frankly I don't care. If you're leaving it has to be for good, or not at all. Understand?" She nodded slowly. He leaned back, "Good. Go get some water. You and Daryl have first watch tonight." Without any more prompting, Faye rushed away from the lecture.

Carol snuck up behind her while she was drinking and startled her to the point of snorting her water. "Carol! ебать!" She cursed when the water spurt from her nose and made her cough. Carol slapped her on the back while she coughed but was suppressing a smile.

Faye finally huffed and looked up, so Carol said, "I wanted to apologize for earlier. I shouldn't have pushed, but Daryl was worried and wanted to make sure."

Faye raised her eyebrows, "So it was Daryl's idea?"

Carol's eyes widened, "Oh, no! I mean, yes. But I was there and could have gone about it more delicately-"

Faye grabbed Carol's shoulders and pulled her to where the crowns of their heads were touching. The woman froze up at the close proximity. "Carol," Faye said sternly, "You are a lovely queen that should apologize for nothing. I'm not angry, and I love you." And with that, Faye kissed the older woman on the nose and swept from the room quickly. Carol remained where she stood for a few seconds before she blinked and smiled happily.

Daryl was sorting through the arrows Faye got back for him, placing them into 'sharpen', or 'not sharpen' piles. Faye leaned over the back of the couch opposite him and dragged out her word, "Soooo... you're the mastermind?"

Daryl looked up, confused, "What?" Faye rolled her eyes and jumped over the back of the couch to lay across it. She didn't talk again, but just lounged staring at the ceiling, so Daryl went back to his arrows. He knew what she was talking about, how his question for her had upset her somehow. He knew that the other women knew something he didn't, but if prying resulted in Faye leaving, he didn't want to risk it.

"You'll find out eventually." Faye said softly. He glanced back up at her, but she was still looking at the white ceiling. "Just...not yet, okay?" She turned to look at him, gray eyes pleading.

He nodded and looked back down at his arrows. She smiled and turned back to the ceiling, then closed her eyes to rest.

 

"Sweetie pie." Daryl mumbled while he kept his eyes on the surrounding trees in the slanted evening light.

Faye sat next to him on the roof of the truck, watching the road and woods for any approaching walkers herself. She pursed her lips in thought, then replied, "Cupcake."

He nodded, "Sweet thang."

She grinned at that, "Ooooh, I like that one! Okay...Sweetcheeks."

He cursed, "Damn, how'd I miss that one? Alright, Honey."

Faye raised her fist in triumph, "You already said that one!" Daryl thought, and remembered saying it earlier in the game. That meant he lost this round, and Faye got a point, giving her two out of three of the wins. The game went that they had a category, and had to name as many items from that category until one person either gave up, or repeated one. The first round was states, and had been pretty easy for Daryl, but difficult for Faye, so he'd won. The second was languages, which Faye had, unsurprisingly, won, and the last was pet names, which Daryl had just lost. It was a good way to pass time without talking about the whole 'Hip Fiasco' earlier. She scratched a tally under her initial carved into the rusted roof of the blue truck and sat back again with a sigh, "I win!" She smiled smugly.

Daryl shook his head, "No way, Tinker Bell. Best three out of five." He set his crossbow aside and pulled his legs onto the roof to cross and face her. There weren't any walkers out tonight, anyway.

She smirked, "Ooooh, a challenge! Alright, you pick the category." She looked so confident and smug. Daryl knew he had to pick something she wouldn't know much of.

He stared off towards the trees and suddenly found it. "Forest animals."

Her smile fell, "That's not fair!" She whined, "I've lived in cities forever!"

He leaned back on his hands and named the first one. "Deer."

Faye huffed in frustration but reluctantly said, "Rabbits."

"Snakes."

"Birds."

"Chipmunks."

"Tree rats."

Daryl narrowed his eyes, "Tree rats? What do ya mean?"

"You know," Faye waved her hand, "you hunt them all the time, they have big bushy tails, eat acorns."

Daryl snorted, "Those are called squirrels, Pixie. Not tree rats."

Faye rolled her eyes, "Whatever. Your turn."

Daryl hesitated a moment before telling her, "Say 'squirrel'."

"No."

"You can't, can ya?" He teased.

"...no."

"Try it."

She faced him, hiding a smile, "No! You'll laugh."

Daryl raised his eyebrows, "You ever heard me laugh?"

Faye thought a moment, and seemed surprised at the realization, "No, I haven't. All right, then." She twisted and pulled her legs up to face him as well. She cleared her throat dramatically and looked him dead in the eye. "Scwirelle." Daryl snorted, but Faye was already shaking her head and trying again, "Scvirelle. Shit!" Daryl chuckled a bit looking down, but it wasn't enough for Faye. "I can say other words!" She insisted, voice a little higher than normal, "I know moose! And chayos!"

Daryl finally let loose a real laugh, it was short, but it satisfied Faye. She smirked at him and scratched a tally under her initial. "I win!" She grinned and lay back on the roof.

He shook his head, still smiling into his lap. "Yeah, okay. I'll give you this one." He looked up and stared at the treeline, "How's yer back?"

She moved her shoulders up and down experimentally, "A lot better. I can almost lift my arms up all the way."

"Your hand?"

"Scarred."

"Hip?"

"Fading."

He nodded thoughtfully and picked at his nails. "Good." She smiled at his profile and leaned back to look up at the gray sky.


	6. The Impossible

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (I do not own The Walking Dead.)

"Are you sure?"

Faye groaned dramatically at Hershel's pestering, "Yes, Hershel, my body is ready." She stopped and smirked, "I really hope no one overheard that."

The older man rolled his eyes, "May God bless your soul. Faye, it's only been two weeks since the farm. You could stand to rest a bit more."

Maggie entered the kitchen of the small cottage they had recently moved to as he finished talking. She was rubbing her exhausted eyes with a fist when she walked in, but when she heard the ending of her dad's statement, she snapped awake. "You're going with them?" She glared at Faye, "Does Daryl know?"

Faye threw her hands in the air, exasperated, "черт, Maggie, it's not like I'm his bitch! If anything, he's mine, and you know it." She pointed at the woman as if that made the argument final, and went back to packing her backpack on the table.

Hershel turned to his oldest daughter, "She says she'll be fine. And her shoulders have scarred over."

Maggie put her hands on her hips skeptically, giving off a strong motherly vibe, and argued, "But her hand and hip are still injured. She's too stubborn to admit that she's only human, not a machine." Hershel nodded in agreement.

Faye waved her hand at them and said with a spark of irritation in her voice, "Umm, hello? I'm standing right here? And I'll be fine." She slung the pack over her shoulder. "I can run again, and my hand is almost totally scabbed over. I'll keep it wrapped, and I have my knives. Besides, Glenn and T-Dog are coming too, so it's not like I'll be without backup." She started to head for the door.

Hershel crossed his arms, "And there's no reason that you're leaving at the crack of dawn before Daryl wakes up?"

Faye stopped in the doorway and looked back over her shoulder, "No. No reason at all." Her voice was a little higher than normal. She continued to walk back into the living area.

"Did you pack a lunch?" Maggie called to her before she passed out of view.

"Yes, _MOM_." Was the sarcastic reply.

 

Daryl blinked awake against the bright late morning sun filtering through the living room window. He sighed when he realized that he couldn't put off waking up any longer, and rolled into a kneeling position in his sleeping bag. After packing it up, he headed into the kitchen and sat across the table from Carl and Beth heavily.

Carol glanced up from stirring a stew pot over a gas stove and gave him a small smile, "Thanks for the rabbit meat, Daryl. I'll get you a bowl in a second."

He nodded his thanks, "I'll head out to get more later. We're getting low on food." Carol put the bowl in front of him.

"T-Dog, Faye, and Glenn went out to check her traps this morning."

Beth's words brought the hunter to a halt with the spoon halfway to his mouth. "Faye went out? Ain't she still hurt?" He put the spoon down.

Carl nudged Beth playfully, a smirk on his face, "I win! Cough it up." Beth grumbled irately but pulled a small superhero key-chain from her pocket and slapped it into the boy's palm.

Daryl looked between them incredulously, "Were ya'll bettin' on me?!"

Carl nodded without taking his eyes off of the small key-chain, "Yeah, on whether or not you'd ask about Faye right off. And I won." He grinned.

Daryl scoffed and stood back up. He called back to Carol, "Tell Rick I went to bring her back. I'll stay with Glenn and T."

Carol was suddenly behind him with her hands on his shoulders pushing him back into the chair, "You'll sit right here and eat your stew. Remember, you're hurt too. I still see you flinching every now and then."

Carl nodded, "Yeah, and Faye's actually doing better now." Beth agreed.

Daryl scowled at the kids, "The hell do you know about it? She's a stubborn bitch." Carl and Beth nodded in agreement. Daryl huffed but picked up his spoon to eat. He wasn't worried about her. He just wished she would have a coherent thought for once in her life.

 

The trio trudged through the underbrush, slapping at the occasional mosquito and keeping a sharp ear out for threats. "We've gotta be at least half a mile from the road by now..." T-Dog said, remorseful. "We already have like, three squirrels and two rabbits. How far out is this trap you made?"

Faye glanced at a tree trunk to her left. There were three slashes down the bark in a straight line. "Three more minutes. And it's a big trap, for deer or a big rabbit. I just hope walkers haven't gotten stuck in them." She pushed a branch back and released it to whip back into Glenn's chest.

He grunted at the sting and glared at the Russian's back. "Aren't you from the city? Where the hell did you learn to trap, anyway?" T-Dog managed to catch the same branch Glenn released before it hit him.

"My father taught me when I was small," She brushed her fingers over two slashes on another tree. "Citizens weren't allowed to have guns in Russia, so we trapped. But we weren't supposed to, so we couldn't own any real hunting supplies. This was how we got meat."

"You ever eat bear?" T-Dog asked, a playful lit to his voice.

Faye smiled and nodded, "A few times, yes. It tastes like beef." She turned back to finding her way through the trees. Glenn and T-Dog exchanged a disbelieving look before following.

Suddenly, Faye stopped and held up her hand so the men would stop as well. They joined her in a crouched position and looked through the overgrown grass. They looked across the forest in a small clearing where a black mass was writhing against the titanium wiring Faye had used for the trap. It was about the size of a raccoon, but didn't have the distinctive stripped tail.

"What is that?" Glenn asked what they were all thinking. The creature heard his voice and turned it's looped neck to look at them. It was a baby black bear.

T-Dog grinned and stood up, "Well, Faye, I guess we get to find out if bear really does taste like beef!" Faye was shaking her head quickly and staring at the bear in shock.

Glenn sounded hesitant, "Are we really going to eat it? I mean, it's just a baby." The two ignored Faye when she stood to approach the trap.

T-Dog rolled his eyes, "Meat is meat is meat. Baby or not, at the end of the day, I'm still hungry." He turned back to the trap and just saw Faye pulling the wire off of the cub's head. It galloped off into the underbrush, crying out small roars as it went. "Hey! What gives?!" T-Dog accused Faye.

Faye stomped towards them quickly and started to push them away. "We need to go. NOW." She said, accent heavier than normal, and ignored T-Dog's question.

Glenn walked quickly to keep pace with her, but still asked nervously, "Why? What is it?"

Faye kept glancing around, eyes shooting towards anything that moved around them. It made the men nervous, as they had never seen her this nervous before. Even when confronted with a group of walkers she stayed calm for the most part. "Because," She answered quickly and didn't look back at them, "Where there is little bear, there is almost always-" She was interrupted by a guttural roar to their ten o'clock, "a mama bear." She finished softly.

A large, lumbering black mass of fur was charging at the group. The bear grunted with each step and snapped her teeth threateningly, spraying foam over the dirt. "RUN!" Glenn yelled. The others were too scared to argue. They leapt over logs and tree roots, weaved between the trees, and kept ahead for the most part, but she just kept chasing them.

"Didn't you...hunt bears?!" T-Dog asked Faye between pants.

The Russian nodded, "Grizzly bears! Not black bears! All I know," she vaulted over a fallen tree, "Is that she shouldn't...be chasing us! Her cub is back there!" Glenn helped pull T-Dog down a clearer path.

"I think it's rabid! I saw foam!" Glenn answered for her. This was no comfort to them at all. They stumbled up a hill and back onto the road they drove down.

"We have to get back to the truck." T-Dog said in a moment of rest, before they heard the bear roar again from up the road.

"Wait! I know why it's following us!" Glenn got their attention while they continued to sprint, "Bears can smell menstruation!" Faye didn't say anything, just thumped the back of his head.

 

Daryl flinched and shook his hand of the sting the small splinter in his finger caused. He sucked it out quickly and spat to the side before moving back to carving new arrows. It was a nice day out, only a few white clouds dotted the blue sky and the breeze was cool, but not chilly yet. Lori, Maggie, and Carol were doing laundry in a wash bucket inside the fence while Hershel taught Beth how to load and aim guns a distance away. Rick and Carl were pacing the perimeter together, both armed with their own guns. It was a surprisingly normal day.

Daryl left his bow and arrows on the porch to get some water from inside. The house had its own irrigation system, but the water was soft, so it tasted weird, but they couldn't afford to waste any of it, so they were sucking it up for now.

While he was downing a glass, his gaze fell on a small orange journal that looked like it had fallen off of the old chair where Faye kept her sleeping bag. He just stared at it for a moment, contemplating on whether to read it or not. On one hand, it was her private journal and he had no right to violate that. On the other, he knew very little about her and was curious, so he glanced around before setting down his water and picking it up.

He had grabbed it by the spine, and a small photograph fluttered out. He panicked for a moment, because now she would know someone had disturbed the pages if she had been keeping track of where the photo was. He hastily picked up the picture, with every intention of putting it back and stepping away, but when he saw what the photo was, he had to stop and stare.

It was a sonogram of a three month old baby, laying on its side curled up in its mother's womb. The gender read female, but there was no name printed at the top. Why was this in Faye's bag? She wasn't pregnant, she wasn't showing. Was she pregnant before, though? Did she loose the baby? Was this what she meant by "he'd find out later"? This woman was nothing but a question that bred more questions, and Daryl had a feeling he wouldn't find the answers anytime soon.

For now, though, he opened the journal in hopes of at least some answers, but scoffed when he saw the contents. It was all written in Russian. Why wouldn't it be?, he thought, If she wanted you to know she would have told you in English. He tucked the picture back into the front cover and set it back on top of her chair. Faye would tell him when she was ready, and for some reason, he knew he could trust her to.

Glenn and T-Dog clamored into the cabin of the truck while Faye dove onto the back. She pounded on the roof and yelled "GO GO _GO_!" T-Dog finally started the engine and the truck shot forward, knocking Faye onto her ass in the bed. Glenn glanced behind them to check if she made it, and instead saw the damn bear giving chase.

"GO FASTER!" He yelled at T-Dog. The truck was chugging and a weird squeaking was echoing from the engine.

"I'm trying! I think a belt's loose!" T-Dog again, tried to press on the gas, but the engine screeched in protest.

Faye scrambled up in the back and glanced behind them at the rabid bear, moving quickly with no sign of stopping. "SHIT!" She pulled herself to lean out of the bed and around to the passenger side window. "GLENN!" She yelled over the wind, "GIVE ME A GUN!" Glenn yanked a small six shooter pistol out of the bag at his feet and handed it to her. She shot him a disbelieving look.

"What?" He had to talk loudly over the engine and wind.

"Most women prefer bigger!" She replied before ducking back into the bed. T-Dog, despite everything, barked out a laugh at her joke while Glenn sputtered.

Faye, meanwhile, kneeled against the back hatch and raised the pistol at the bear's tossing head. Because of it's deranged state, she couldn't get a completely clear shot, but she had to try, if only to get it off their ass. She fired once, and saw a spray of blood from its shoulder, but it just seemed angrier and didn't stop charging. The truck was only going about 20 or 25 miles an hour, and slowing down fast.

"SHIT!" Faye pulled the hammer back and aimed again. As her finger was tightening on the trigger, the truck gave a lurch forward and made her fire, aim way off. "T, WHAT THE HELL?!"

Glenn answered with his head out the window, "We took the brake off!" He announced.

Faye stared back at him in disbelief, " _THE BRAKE WAS ON THIS WHOLE TIME_?!" Glenn pressed his lips together and ducked back into the vehicle. Faye groaned and muttered, "Fucking idiotic.." Before turning her attention back to the rabid animal, still in pursuit. It should have been tired by now!

Faye got a clear shot, with how close it was getting, and pulled the trigger. Click! Faye pulled the gun back in shock, and opened the chamber to find it empty. She grit her teeth, "GLENN, YOU DIDN'T LOAD YOUR FUCKING GUN!" She tucked the empty weapon into her belt and just tried to hold on for dear life.

In the cab, T-Dog turned a glare to Glenn when he realized what he'd done. Glenn turned away sheepishly and caught sight of the cabin through the trees flashing by. The road they were on must have been parallel to the one the cabin was on. "T!" He pointed. T-Dog nodded and stuck his head out the window, "FAYE, HOLD ON!" Then he twisted the steering wheel to go off road.

 

Rick and Carl turned towards the trees across the street from the house. They listened hard and heard it again, a distant gunshot, accompanied by a loud whining. "What the hell...?" Daryl stood up from the porch and lifted his crossbow towards the trees, waiting for the threat to emerge. The women abandoned the laundry to go back towards the house, except Lori, who went to talk to Rick.

Lori stayed a bit behind Rick and asked nervously, "What is it?" Carl stood in front of her protectively, his own gun raised towards the trees.

"Don't know. Go back inside." Rick gave his orders quickly and started to step back as well as the whining got louder.

Daryl jogged past Lori to the sheriff, "That noise'll bring a herd on us!" He couldn't see anything past the trees. Rick was just pushing Carl back gently when a new sound yelled over the whine; a familiar voice, "FAYE, HOLD ON!" followed by the snapping of branches.

The rusty blue truck crashed through the thin trees, and left a trail of destruction behind it, before slamming into a thicker tree trunk. "Oh my God!" Lori's hand flew to her mouth in shock. The truck's hood was smoking and crumpled inward, probably useless now. Rick and Daryl started to run towards it to help, but barely got ten feet before both the doors opened and Glenn and T-Dog spilled out, coughing.

Maggie joined Rick and Daryl to try and help, but Glenn was waving his arm, yelling, "No! Get back!" T-Dog pulled a machete from the backseat and backed up defensively, watching the forest. Daryl looked over the truck quickly and asked quickly while he scanned the trees as well, "Where's Faye?!"

Glenn glanced back at the truck, "Shit, did we lose her?!" T-Dog didn't answer, just kept looking over the woods.

"I'M HERE!" Faye sprung up from the bed and leaned on the roof, grinning. Her tank top was shredded and her hair was filled with sticks and leaves. "I think we lost it!" A roar cracked through the trees, and her smile dropped. "Maybe not!" She pulled herself onto the roof and slid off the hood to stumble past Daryl. He subconsciously stepped in front of her to block her from the threat.

The mangled black bear tumbled down the hill behind the truck and slid to a stop amid the broken branches, but was immediately thrashing to get back up. It cast it's gaze over every person before it, before focusing on Lori, who tried to move back to the house subtly. It began it's charge, jaw open and spilling a mixture of foam and blood over the grass. Carl and Rick yelled desperately and shot at it's hide, but that barely slowed it down.

While Daryl was aiming for the eye, Faye darted from behind him and towards Lori. The bear reached the woman and stood on it's hind legs to strike, just as Faye tackled her to the ground, out of the way of the first swipe, but that just put the bear back over the two on all fours.

"I'm out!" Rick yelled and dropped his gun to rush the animal instead. Carl looked like he was empty as well, and Daryl's arrow had embed itself in the bear's neck fat. The creature drew back to strike with it's teeth, but then a single gunshot sounded out, and the animal dropped on top of the women, a bloody hole in the middle of its forehead.

When they saw that the threat was over, the rest of the group turned to each other to find who made the shot, and their eyes finally fell on the rifle in Beth's shaking hands. She looked just as shocked at everyone else, like she didn't actually make the shot, but she was the only one with a gun still raised.

When Rick and Daryl collectively pushed the bear off of the women, Faye scrambled up and pulled Lori up as well. She left her to Rick and then turned back to the concerned faces of the group. She raised both fists in the air and grinned victoriously, "We're okay!" She announced. A collective sigh went around the group, and Rick stepped back into his leadership role. "All that noise will have drawn them. Gather up your supplies and get in the vehicles."

Daryl followed Faye back to the truck to pull her kills and other supplies they brought with them out. "You shouldn't have done that." He grumbled while he tugged her pack from under the seat. She glanced up at him, but didn't hold eye contact across the truck. "Which part?"

"All of it. Going on a run without me, riding in the bed of a truck driving through the woods, and jumping in front of a rabid bear!" He scowled, "It's stupid to risk yourself."

Faye stopped wrapping the squirrels in plastic grocery sacks and stared at him. "Are you expecting an apology?" He shook his head, still keeping his gaze on the task at hand. "Then don't make it seem like I owe you one." She went back to packing, a little rougher and quicker than before, and with that, she took the kills, spun on her heel, and stomped away.

Daryl finished packing alone and grumbled, "Well how the hell am I supposed to know what to expect if ya don't wanna tell anyone?"

 

Faye crawled into the backseat of Carol's green van. Maggie drove, Glenn was in the front seat, and Hershel, Beth, and Faye were crammed in the back with Beth in the middle seat. The teenager was looking at her wringing hands nervously, and avoiding talking to anyone around her. Faye glanced at Hershel, with a look that said, "I'm going to try something." And shook Beth's shoulders excitedly, a grin on her face.

"Beth, that was awesome! You saved our lives! Was that the first time you ever shot?" The Russian slung an arm over the blonde's shoulders and pulled her in for a side hug, as if she had just won a soccer game, not shot a bear in between the eyes.

Beth shrugged and kept looking down, so Faye tilted her chin up with a finger. "Hey," She met her eyes, and saw that they were a little teary. "What's wrong?" Hershel turned to look out the window and give them privacy. Faye guessed that he'd already tried to get through to her, and failed.

Beth took a shaky breath in and whispered with a voice crack, "You almost died, and I just...reacted. I killed it without hesitation and I-" She took a slow and shaky breath, "...I don't want to feel like that again. But I know that would make me weak if I don't kill things when they're trying to kill us." Faye took her hand gently to stop them from fidgeting.

"Beth look at me. Please." Beth slowly turned her head up to meet Faye's eyes. "Feel this?" She pressed two of Beth's fingers to her opposite wrist so she could feel her pulse. "You're alive. You're here. You're safe. And feel this." She put those two fingers against her own wrist as well. "I'm here. I'm alive, because of you. What you did was the right thing to do, even if it doesn't feel like it now. I won't lie to you and say you will never have to kill again, because we don't know the future anymore." She brushed a loose strand of hair behind the girl's ear, "But I know you're strong enough to survive this world. And you'll do it in your own special way."

Beth shook her head and sniffed, "I'm not even strong enough to be trusted to not kill myself when I'm alone. I can't survive." Maggie's hands tightened on the steering wheel and Hershel dipped his head when he heard his girl's words.

Faye still sounded calm when she said, "Well, do you want to die now?"

"It wouldn't matter if I did." Beth's voice was hard, like she'd already made up her mind, as she turned back to fidgeting her hands sharply. Faye grabbed them again and made her look back at her. The teen shrunk back a little at the intensity Faye was staring her down with.

"That was not my question, Beth. Do you want to now?" Beth hesitated in thought before answering, "No."

Faye nodded and leaned back against the door, "Everyone has scars, Beth. Rick, Glenn, Daryl, me; we got them by living. You may not like this feeling, but you have to feel it. There's no way to get around it, so you have to go through it. And it's messy, and heart breaking, and may seem like you're trying to do the impossible, but you have us here to help. Emotions didn't stop happening when the world ended, and it's foolish to think that they ever will."

"But you got your scars fighting back!" She protested, "I did this to myself. At least you can cover yours up!" She shook her left wrist at Faye, who snatched her arm out of the air and held it down on her lap, not breaking eye contact. "This isn't a battle over which ones are worse, Beth. Our battles were completely different, and we couldn't fight each other's no matter what."

Beth's eyes were watering again, so Faye pulled her closer to her chest and into a gentle embrace that she could pull away from anytime. "Beth, scars are beautiful," she whispered so the others couldn't hear over the sound of the engine. "Even yours, because they show a fight, a battle with yourself, that you won. The old part of you that would do this is dead, Beth Greene. A warrior is in her place."

Beth looked up from her chest, tears streaked down her face, "I don't know who I am anymore..." she said softly, almost pleading for an answer.

"You will, боец." Faye smiled gently and kissed her hairline. "You will find out, and we'll be here to love you when you do."


	7. Thieves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (I do not own the Walking Dead.)

_Faye stumbled, dizzy from exhaustion. She couldn't form any coherent thoughts except, Escape. Protect. She cupped her swollen belly with her left hand and used the other to lean against a dirty brick wall next to her and breathe for a minute. She was slightly winded, and she felt her daughter shift in discomfort. "Hush, baby. We're getting out of here. I'll protect you, I promise." She continued down the dirty ally, towards the glow of the street lights on the other end. She was so close. Almost free._

_Time shifted and she was in a hospital room, pushing through contractions. Her daughter's screams joined her's in the end, and she was able to hold her baby. She smiled while tears slipped down her cheeks and landed on the soft pink blanket. "I did it," She whispered, "I protected you." The baby started to fuss, so she bounced her a little and shushed her gently, "Oh, shhh Nikita, it's okay. Mama's here. Mama's here."_

Faye's eyes flew open with a gasp to stare at the white tiled ceiling of the office. She sat up quickly and brushed the tears away as the brutal reminder bounced around her mind. _You didn't protect her. You promised and you failed. You died in that ally with her, and then you ran because you were too scared to hunt them down yourself._ She let out a quiet sob into her hand and pulled her knees closer to her chest. She didn't want to wake Carol, Lori, or Carl.

She must have woken Carol, though, because the woman started to rouse and sat up. Upon seeing Faye wiping away tears, she was wide awake and crawling the short distance to her side. She began to rub soothing circles over her back and whispered, "Hey, honey, it's okay. You're okay. Was it a nightmare?"

Faye could only nod with her head down. Carol grabbed a blanket from the nest they had made to sleep and pulled Faye up to lead her out of the room.

Carol guided her to sit against the wall in the hallway, a little ways away from the two offices the group was using. "Come on," Carol said firmly and pulled Faye down to lay her head on her thighs, "Talking about it will help."

Faye blinked up at her, a little surprised that she was letting this frail old woman boss her around, but realized that Carol wouldn't back down until she knew that Faye was okay. "It was about my baby, Nikita."

Carol started to weave her fingers through the fluffy mess that was Faye's bedhead. "You named her?" carol's voice was soft.

Faye nodded and closed her eyes, melting into the comfort of Carol's gentle rubbing along her scalp. "I dreamed that I saved her, and was holding her in my arms. But then I wake up and...she was never here."

"Tell me about her."

Faye automatically moved her hands to cover her scars under the long t-shirt she slept in. "Her name meant 'Victory', but I didn't name her until after she was killed." She gave a dry chuckle, "I didn't want her, at first. I was going to get an abortion, but then I went to the doctor and heard her heartbeat. They said she had the strongest heart they'd ever seen at that age, and suddenly she was the most important thing to ever happen to me." Carol wiped away a stray tear that slipped between her eyelids with her thumb.

"Sofia was the same way." Carol said softly, "Healthy baby, good heartbeat. I had her for selfish reasons, though. I knew I would be bringing her into an unhealthy family, but I just..." she coughed, "I didn't want to be alone."

Faye opened her eyes and took her hand. "Me too."

 

Daryl blinked awake at an unfamiliar sound from the office hallway. He shifted over in his sleeping bag, careful not to wake T-Dog or the Greene family. He stepped over Glenn to make his way to the door, staying out of sight in case something was wrong. What he saw in the hallway wasn't a threat, but just Carol and Faye talking quietly in the moonlight. He just barely caught the end of Faye's sentence.

"...I won't cover them anymore." She sounded determined.

Carol looked a little concerned at that and asked in a whisper, "Are you sure? Nobody blames you for doing it."

Faye nodded her head in Carol's lap. "It happened, and I have to accept it. It's like I told Beth, scars are just reminders of battles we've won."

_Scars? What scars?_ Is that what she'd been so self conscious about? Similar thoughts and questions raced around his head as he continued to listen to the women.

"You probably spelled it differently," Faye said quietly, "but, in Russian, the name Sofia means 'wisdom'."

Carol was silent.

Daryl was about to go back to bed, feeling like he was trespassing on a private moment, when Carol finally spoke up. "Sofia would have loved Nikita, I bet. She always had a soft spot for babies."

Faye snorted, "I wouldn't have let her go long enough for anyone to get attached."

_So that's what she'd been covering. The scars from her baby. There must have been something wrong with the pregnancy if she had to have surgery before it was born._

Carol tapped her nose playfully, "Well, you can't spell 'smother' without 'mother'." Carol was smiling, but Faye looked confused.

"You should probably know that I can't spell or read English."

Carol looked a little surprised at the announcement, but dropped it quickly enough, "I'm sure Daryl could teach you. He has more patience with you than anyone else."

_What? He was the least patient person he knew when it came to other people! Why should he care if she could read or not?_ He thought quickly and felt his heart skip a beat at Carol's words.

Faye waved her hand lazily, "No, he is mad at me for trying to fight a bear."

Carol raised her eyebrows, "Still? It's been almost a week." He heard the laugh in her voice.

Faye nodded and rubbed at her lip, "Da. He won't talk to me and avoids me whenever I get close. But it's not like I wanted to be eaten, for fuck's sake!" Carol snickered at her dirty mouth, and she continued on. "We were running for our lives! We barely made it back to the truck in one piece but as soon as I get back, he's ripping me a new asshole for not staying back and doing laundry! No offense."

Carol shrugged, "He worries, honey. And you have to admit, you are prone to a lot of bad luck."

Faye snorted, "Yeah but at least I know how to deal with it. And at least I've actually been trying to talk to him again instead of skunking off whenever I get close!" She sounded pouty, like a kid.

Carol stroked a hand through her shaggy hair and corrected, "I think you mean _sulking_."

Faye just huffed and took her hand from her lip, "Whatever. We should get back to bed, or vow to not sleep now and stay up to talk about boys."

Carol chuckled but stood up when Faye lifted her head from her lap. "I know you're avoiding talking about Daryl, Faye."

Faye turned a mock glare at the woman, "And to quote him, shaddup." Carol giggled quietly but followed her back into the office.

Daryl drew back from the doorway quickly so they wouldn't notice he was listening. Maybe he was being a bit immature about the whole bear thing, what with the whole "skunking off" and all. He just hated that she didn't even bother to tell him that she was going on a run, but also thought, _Why should she?_ They weren't together or anything, just two different members of the same group. The only one who really needed to know who was doing what was Rick. So why did he care so much if she got hurt? And, more urgently, what was she hiding from her past that made her desperate enough to cover up scars from the event? He had to smother a sudden feeling of anger at the thought of someone hurting her, which only muddled his thoughts more.

Daryl shook his head of the confusing thoughts and carefully stepped over sleeping bodies towards the bookshelf along the back wall. There had to be at least one book back there that would have easy enough words to start teaching Faye to read.

 

Faye fiddled with the detached rifle scope for a few seconds, completely immersed in the task while she hummed her lullaby. Carl plopped down next to her with a bored sigh, having finished his chores around the camp site. The office building had been overrun, but everyone made it out with time to spare because they were so used to picking up and moving quickly now. Nowhere was safe, and they were all starting to accept that. This was the first night outside of the office, so they were starting to set up tents and cars for sleeping in a small grove.

Carl leaned over to try and see what Faye was doing, but drew back, a guilty look in his face when she caught him snooping.

But she just smiled and asked, "Do you want to help?" He nodded and leaned back to see. "This is a long distance scope, so if we focus it just right, we can shoot more accurately." She explained, "The mount is loose, so I was just screwing it back on, but it looks like it's cracked."

Carl slumped a bit, "So it's really broken?"

Faye shook her head, "No, the lens are okay. We can probably make a wooden mount, because it's just something that screws into the rifle anyway, but for that we need someone who can carve."

Carl lit up, "Daryl can! I'll tell him!" He sprung up and ran towards the hunter, who was gutting a few squirrels on the edge of camp.

Since winter was only a few weeks away, they had scavenged for coats and longer sleeves. Everyone looked like hobos, but it was better than freezing to death at night. Even Daryl had found a fleece Adidas shirt, which only somewhat lessened Faye's pinning after his defined arms. Faye kept her black cargo pants, even though they were torn at the knees and only two of the pockets weren't torn through, and found a long dark blue bomber jacket to go over a sweater that she never would have been able to afford before the apocalypse.

She lifted the scope to bring it into focus while she waited for Carl to bring Daryl over. She and the hunter were slowly coming back to each other, and talking normally again, but the tension was still there. And it only seemed to build the longer they didn't face the cause.

She turned the scope to focus to about fifty feet, on Maggie, who was bent over the shallow end of a small pond they decided to camp next to so they weren't completely blindsided by walker filled woods. She scanned down the brunette's body with the scope until she settled on starting at her ass. She was wearing a pair of athletic leggings that, in Faye's opinion, was totally unfair to wear with legs like her's.

"Are you staring at my ass?"

Faye swiped the scope up to see Maggie's face, which had turned towards her when she wasn't paying attention. She slowly towered the scope and replied a little too late to not be suspicious, "No."

Maggie smirked and rolled her eyes, making Faye grin. Glenn looked a little ticked and spread his arms, "Faye. Stop looking at my girlfriend's ass!" Faye smiled sheepishly, and he scoffed and turned back to setting up a small tent. Faye met Maggie's eyes, winked, and raised the scope to stare at Glenn's ass instead. Maggie snorted and started laughing behind her hand, making Glenn look up at her, then back at Faye. "Dude! Stop!"

Faye grinned playfully but lowered the scope when Daryl walked towards her, Carl pulling him by the hand. The sight made Faye smile, both at the childish action taken by Carl and the awkwardness of Daryl's frame. "We need a new mount," He said, "The thing that screws onto the rifle."

Faye held up the scope for him to see, and he took it carefully, letting their fingers brush. After looking it over, he nodded, "Yeah, could do that."

Faye glanced at Carl and spoke up to Daryl, "You should teach him how to whittle. He's bored."

Carl smiled hopefully up at the redneck, and Faye almost laughed at how quickly he melted under the influence of his puppy eyes. "Aight." He nodded, "But ya gotta bring yer own knife. I won't baby you neither." Carl grinned back at Faye, and the Russian winked before he ran back to the packs to find his own knife.

Daryl stayed where he was, shuffling on his feet uncomfortably. Faye raised an eyebrow, her normal teasing smirk on her lips, "You alright there, Sugar?" She tried to keep her normal teasing lit, but it was half-assed.

Daryl gnawed on his thumbnail and nodded, avoiding eye contact. "Jus'...saw the scars on her stomach earlier. When you were stretching. Was wondering if you were okay."

Faye stood up to face him, but still had to look up because of their height difference. "Are you worried?"

He looked at her incredulously, "Well, yeah. Don' want ya hurtin'."

Faye smiled, but just before she could speak, Carl screamed from the edge of the camp. The whole camp immediately had their guns up and aimed at the threat, but Faye froze, wide eyed at the sight.

Five large men stood in a line spread out along the edge of the shore where the brush was thickest. They were all armed heavily, rifles and blades were strapped to their backs and each one had at least one pistol on their thigh. The tallest one, a bald man with broad shoulders and a stiff Russian nose similar to Faye's had a hand gun to Carl's head and an arm around his neck. Daryl had jumped for his bow at record speed and now stood the closest, crossbow raised.

"Put your weapons down," The main man commanded with a strong Russian accent, "or he is the first to go." Faye didn't miss the glances that were thrown her way when he spoke with her dialect, and neither did the men, because soon all their eyes were trained on her, and wide in surprise. "Faye?" The leader grinned and spoke in Russian, "Is it really you?"

Faye started to walk along the dry earth slowly, nervous glances were cast her way, but she had eyes only for the men in front of her. Daryl hissed her name twice to try and keep her back, but she was a woman possessed.

She stopped not ten feet from them, weaponless except the blade on her belt, and said sternly, "Release him, Ivan. It's me that the Thieves want, right?"

Ivan chuckled and kept speaking in English with her, "What are the odds, huh Scorpion? That we would meet like this again." His voice held underlying anger.

Faye glared daggers at him, "I don't go by that anymore. Let him go."

One of the men to Ivan's left stepped up and eyed her up and down with a look that would have made anyone squirm uncomfortably. "If he's important to you, maybe this way is better. You steal from Thieves, we steal from you. I'm liking the look of that brunette back there." He made kissy sounds at Maggie, who drew back a bit behind her gun. Faye stepped to her left so she was between him and the woman.

Ivan snapped at the man, "Shut up, Gus!"

Faye clenched her fists, all to aware of the audience behind them. "You have already stolen from me. That night, when you tried to have me killed, Sachar, I was pregnant. The only reason I lived was because my baby took the blow." She was shaking with rage by now, and hating every second that Carl was with these monsters.

So these were the bastards that hurt her? Daryl's grip tightened on the mount of his bow. Now that they were in front of them, he could only think of tearing them apart.

"Aww!" One of the men crooned, "How sad!" He did a mock pout.

Dimitri snorted, "It was your own fault for getting pregnant, anyway. Boris says you whored yourself out to the Italians." Boris nodded enthusiastically.

Faye was still tense with fury, but kept her tone dangerously calm. "It was yours, Dimitri. You killed your own daughter." A complete hush fell over the shore.

Rick and Daryl glanced to each other, confusion, fear, and anger in their gazes; for different reasons but directed at the same man.

Carl struggled a little and whimpered from Ivan's grasp, snapping them out of it. "That's why I stole the money, and why I was trying to run." Faye addressed the man closest to her, Dimitri. "I didn't want to give her up, and I knew you would make me."

Dimitri lowered his gun and ran a hand through his curly dark hair, "Дерьмо, Faye, you should have said no!"

Faye clenched her fists and stormed another four feet closer, "I was too drunk to say yes! This whole thing is your fault, and I'm going to make you pay, mark my words."

Ivan held up a hand, "Enough! We followed you here when we heard you survived, and we have a tab to fill. Apocalypse or no, nobody escapes the Thieves." He aimed the gun away from Carl and up at Faye instead, at a range where he couldn't miss. "Прощай, Скорпион."

"NO!" Carl drew his whittling knife and stabbed upward into Ivan's arm, forcing his hand higher and firing the pistol into the air above them harmlessly.

Faye rushed to yank Carl out of his grasp, while Daryl fired a bolt through Boris' hand as he raised his own rifle at Faye. Faye ducked under Ivan's swinging arm and thrust the heel of her hand up into his nose. Blood shot from his nostrils and his eyes were immediately flooded with red as they drained of life when his crushed nose bone penetrated his brain.

Faye threw Carl behind her towards Daryl, out of harm's way, just before Gus grabbed her from behind. Sachar, infuriated at the death of their leader, stepped in front of her and backhanded her jaw, then punched her in the gut before she could recover. Faye coughed but was growling with fury when she looked back up. She grabbed Gus' forearm around her shoulders and hefted her legs up to kick Sachar back by the sternum. He stumbled a few steps, but then a gunshot rang out and a bullet hole snapped into existance through the back of his head. When he fell, Rick was left standing with his six shooter raised.

Faye scraped the heel of her boot down the front of Gus' shin, ripping the skin off and making him howl at the burn. She snapped her head back and slammed into his nose, and he fell, unconcious. Unfortunately, that meant that Faye fell with him, and bit her tounge on the way. Copper filled her mouth, and a shadow fell over her before she was being yanked up by her jacket's collar. She was slammed back onto the mud and felt the chill of the water seep into her clothes. Dimitri snarled above her and raised a long blade before bringing it down at her eye.

She snapped her neck aside so the hilt sunk into the dirt, centimeters from striking her. He recovered quicker than her, however, and instead wrapped his hands around her throat. The pressure pushed her back into the mud, up to her ears now, and stopped her from inhaling at all. "I GAVE YOU THIS LIFE, FAYE!" He was screaming down at her in Russian, "AND YOU REPAY ME BY GETTING MY DAUGHTER KILLED AND LEAVING ME!" He clenched her tighter, spit and tears dripping from his face onto Faye's.

She bucked her hips up to try and deter him and get the upper hand, but Dimitri kept his ground. Small lights were dancing behind her eyes as she felt her struggles growing weaker with every second. Suddenly, the pressure was alleviated and she sucked down air greedily.

Daryl had tackled Dimitri off of her and was punching him over and over again in a fit of blind rage while he straddled his chest. She sat up and tried to rise, ignoring her vertigo from the lack of oxygen, and saw Boris and Glenn pulling a rifle between them, each trying to get the upper hand. She focused her red vision on him and rose out of the mud.

The rest of the group were trying to get a shot in to save Glenn, but they were too close. Faye stumbled a bit before gathering enough speed and leaped onto Boris' back. Glenn wrestled the gun away from him at last as Faye clenched him tightly while he tried to shake her off. He drew his blade and managed to slash a long, but shallow, cut down Faye's calf. She winced but didn't release him, instead started to climb him higher.

Daryl looked up at Lori's cry of alarm and saw Faye riding Boris' back and scratching at his eyes. The distraction let Dimitri flip them and gain the upper hand, and suddenly Daryl was underwater and pushing back against his thick arms. Freezing water blurred his vision and filled his mouth and nose. He was drowning.

Faye swung her legs up in an acrobatic arc to loop around Boris' neck. She gripped his head between her thighs and twisted her torso, and a sharp crack resounded through the camp before Boris fell, dead. Faye rolled off of his body and was immediately looking around for the next threat. Her eyes settled on Dimitri, and the redneck beneath him, and she had her target. She pulled a familiar handgun from Boris's thigh holster and marched towards Dimitri.

Faye planted her foot on Dimitri's shoulder and shoved him off of Daryl, who immediately sprung up, gasping. Faye stood over him, a foot on either side of his his hips, and aimed one-handed down at her fellow Russian, and fired into the water. No hesitation. It was eerily quiet after he was dead, and everyone could only stand and catch their breath from exertion.

Daryl sat back in the cold water, propped up on his elbows and staring up at Faye. She still hadn't lowered her gun from the patch of dark red spreading from Dimitri's head. She was muddy, bloody, and looked feral, like some kind of Amazon.

At last she lowered the weapon and looked down at him. "You okay?" She asked softly. He nodded, and she helped pull him up to stand in the shallow waters.

He kept a grip on her forearm and asked her the same, "Are you?"

She nodded, but avoided his eyes, "Da, I just," She looked back down at Dimitri's floating body, "...I think I need a moment." He nodded and gave her one last squeeze before easing the gun out of her hand. She let him take it without protest so he began sloshing back through the water and up to the shore.

Rick rose from stabbing Boris' skull so he wouldn't turn. "She okay?" His concern for her was evident, not a trace of anger or blame in his tone.

Daryl nodded and glanced back at her. "She needs some time. Messed her up to see them again."

Rick nodded and turned back to the group. "Pack up. Gunshots would have drawn the dead. We'll find somewhere on higher ground, if we can." Nobody argued and moved to start packing up again. Lori's gaze fell to Gus, who was stirring awake in the mud. She saw him lift his head to see Faye, and pull his gun from its holster.

One final shot rang out, yanking Faye from her thoughts. Her gaze snapped to the shore and saw Lori, gun raised and aimed at Gus' now dead corpse, a bloody hole in the back of his head. His gun was out, but splattered in the mud where he'd dropped it. Lori looked shocked that she had fired and killed a man, and she dropped the small pistol like it had burned her. Faye looked between the two, and understood.

"He-he was waking up and aimed at Faye and I just- oh, God I killed him...!" Faye sloshed to the shore as she started to break down. She fell to her knees and just sat, mouth covered and eves wide. Rick was standing aside awkwardly, as if not knowing what to do.

Faye stopped in front of the mother and crouched, ignoring the sting of the cut down her leg. She tilted her head up with a finger so she was looking at her and said softly, "Thank you, Lori. You are very brave."

This seemed to calm her down a bit, and she controlled her breathing a little easier. Faye nodded to her and rose again. Her face was muddy and stoic, but her eyes and movements were sharp and wild. Her lip was smeared with mud and blood, but she still rubbed it methodically. She looked twitchy and wild, like an animal trying to find a way out of a trap.

Carol walked up to her first and pulled her like a toddler to sit by the fireside. "Let's warm you up, huh? Come on, sweetie."

She coaxed the wet clothes from her back and started to wipe her down with a damp towel. The others kept their eyes from her out of respect, but she didn't seem to even care, even as Carol pulled her sweater off, and left her in her black sports bra. She knew her scars were on display, but couldn't find it in herself to cover them up.

Daryl kept glancing over at her, worry evident and weighing on his chest. He decided to pack up her stuff, because she looked like she wouldn't be moving anytime soon. He stuffed her knives, scope, and a few granola bars in the pack, but hesitated when he was holding the orange journal. He glanced back at Faye, staring blankly into the fire before her, and then back at the book. He opened the pages, and let them fall open to reveal the sonogram of Nikita, before plucking it out and shoving the book back in her pack. He stood up and crossed the site to the woman, and held the paper out to her.

She glanced at it, but didn't take it. Instead, she gripped his wrist and turned his hand over to see his split knuckles, and pulled him to sit next to her. She didn't say anything, and neither did he as he settled down. He was still holding the photo when Carol came back with a first aid kit and another shirt for Faye. Her shoulders were speckled with scars that shined in the firelight, and Daryl watched as she pulled the sweatshirt over her head and covered them. Her pants were still muddy and stiffening as they dried, and she knew they were beyond saving.

Carol started to tend to Daryl's knuckles, and talked quietly, "Why did they call you Scorpion?"

Daryl shot a glare her way for bringing up the traumatic event, but Faye answered with a level tone. "That was my nickname. Because when I fight I strike very quickly and accurately."

Carol ignored Daryl and kept talking to her, "I can see that." She nodded, "It was like a dance when you fought them just now. Very impressive."

Faye took the photo at last and stared at it when she said with a dry chuckle, "To be honest, that move I did on Gus, to kill him," Her voice cracked, "it was something I copied from the Black Widow in movies."

Carol chuckled and tied off the bandages on Daryl's hands. "Well, it worked. And we're all safe now."

Faye nodded, "Da. There's that." She flicked the sonogram into the fire and watched it catch. The image of her daughter burned away from the edges, in, until it vanished forever in the ashes of the pit. She sat up straighter when it was gone, and looked Carol in the eye, "It's time to move forward."


	8. Rated E

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter isn't really necessary to the story, but it should still be fun. It's Faye's backstory, to clear up anything that was confusing.
> 
> (I do not own TWD)

"Hey, Faye?"

Faye hummed and looked up from her boots at Carl. They were taking shelter in another area of the woods, up the road a ways and higher up on a hill. They had to be at least 20 miles from where the Thieves had attacked two nights ago, but Faye was still wary. They had snuck right up on them, even though T-Dog was on watch. Carl had almost gotten hurt, Daryl almost drowned, Glenn put himself in harm's way, and Rick and Lori had killed because of her.

She felt bad. Like, they were about to kick her out and just hadn't decided yet, kind of bad. She didn't want to be alone again, so she stayed, at least for as long as she could. The stress was taking its toll, though, and showed in her depressed mood, lack of jokes, and all around heavy attitude. Not even Daryl offering to teach her to read using a copy of A Midsummer Night's Dream had enticed her. Now she just did her chores, checked her traps, took her watch, and gave short, non-committal answers to everything; really just going through the motions.

"How did you get to America?" Carl's question was innocent enough, but she still looked confused.

"What do you mean?" Her voice was scratchy, so she coughed.

Carl poked at the opossum meat cooking over the fire and avoided her eyes. By now the rest of the camp was watching their conversation too. "Just, how did you find us? What happened before then? Dad says Russia doesn't let anyone in or out."

"Carl." Lori said in a warning tone.

Faye waved her off, "No, it's fine, Lori. But it is a really long story, and you need to hear it all to understand."

"We got time." Daryl was picking his nails with a knife next to her.

She turned to look at him with a raised eyebrow, but the expression didn't meet her eyes. "You really want to tell scary stories around the campfire? This one is a little 'Rated E for Explicit'."

He shrugged, as if uncaring, but his pursed mouth betrayed his concern. "I dunno. You been actin' all moody an' shit since we killed those bastards back there. Ya said you were gonna move on, an' then you jus' shut down." He spit into the woods. "I ain't heard ya hit on Maggie once since it happened."

Faye stared at him blankly for a few moments, the setting sun gave her skin that dark orange tint he saw at the farmhouse. She looked down and sighed before tucking her legs in and crossing them. "I was born in the mountains just North of Yakutsk, where my dad hunted and my mom sold firewood."

A few startled glances were thrown around, but just as quickly returned to the woman as she continued.

╰☆╮╰☆╮╰☆╮

"Mama!" A little girl waved to a woman, her mother, in a garden next to a log cabin. The green forest around them was contrasted sharply by the gray skies, that hardly any real sunshine escaped through.

Once the little girl was sure her mother was watching, she balanced across a long, curvy tree branch only about three feet off the ground. Her arms stretched out to her sides to keep balance, but she kept her gaze straight ahead and focused.

She jumped off the branch and landed in a crouch, then turned to her applauding mother. "Good job, Faye! Wait up to show your father." Her voice was thick with a kind of overjoyed exhaustion that only a mother could have.

Faye shook her little head, her long brown hair swished over the back of light gray coat she wore. "Papa doesn't care. He only wants me to skin stuff and kill animals." Her mother pressed her lips together, but didn't deny it.

**"I always hated blood. Strange, because my dad was a hunter and butcher."**

At age thirteen, the girl was practicing ballet on a grand stage surrounded by other girls of similar height and thin, slight build. They moved in unison, with grace, but an elderly woman at the front still commanded, "Again."

**"I joined the Vaganova Ballet Academy when I was thirteen, just because they were accepting walk in auditions. I only got in because four other girls dropped out."**

At night, the girls all separated back into their bunks and huddled under the blankets to sleep. Faye among them on one of the bottom bunks.

**"It was grueling. But through the academy I built muscle, learned to react quick, and move with confidence."**

All the ballerinas stepped in a row, a long line of twenty one year old girls and a few boys with matching white tutus and twisted hair. They approached the end of the stage, and took their bow.

**"At graduation, I knew what I wanted to do with my life. I wanted to leave the cold country, and go a little more...Western."**

A small fishing boat tipped and swayed precariously in heavy waters. Faye was on deck, wearing a long yellow raincoat and matching hat, but struggling against the force of the storm.

"TWINKLE TOES!"

Another man in matching attire waved her over to the captain's post. She noticed that the other fishermen were headed that way as well, so she clung to different parts of the boat as she went. The man grabbed her arm and pulled her in just before a wave crashed over the deck.

He had a beard and a kind, round face, with hands as rough as sandpaper and shoulders wide enough for Faye to dance on. "Be a little more careful out there! It'd be a shame to lose such a lovely lady."

Faye scoffed and slapped his chest, "Боже правый, Dimitri, get a hold of yourself. But hey," she smiled up at him, "Thank you." The man chuckled and watched her walk towards the bunks.

When the ship finally docked in New York Harbor, Faye wandered from the rest of the group of unloaders, carrying a wooden crate. She kept a straight back and her pace casual, even though she was dying to run into the city. When she was out of sight, she ducked behind a dumpster and tore open the box. Inside was a backpack, a few boxes of food, and another pair of shoes.

She unzipped the pack and changed out of her uniform of suspenders and her gray sweatshirt, into black jeans that were a little too big and a red t-shirt with the Flash symbol on it. She tied her sneakers and rose with the pack slung over her shoulders, but as she got up, another body rushed around the cargo and collided with her.

She stumbled for a moment before she met a pair of familiar dark eyes. "Dimitri! I was just, uhh-"

She stopped herself when she saw his clothes. He had changed out of his fishing uniform and wore faded blue jeans and a white t-shirt. She looked up, startled, "You're leaving too?!"

He shushed her urgently and glanced over his shoulder. "Come on! Hurry!" He pulled her along with him to avoid two beat cops patrolling the pier.

**"Dimitri and I became friends and stayed together through it all. And his English was better than mine, so he was able to get me a job as a janitor at the Brooklyn Methodist hospital. I worked 60 hours a week for 6 dollars an hour, but it was barely enough to live off of. Nobody wanted a ballerina that couldn't read the programs."**

Faye walked down the streets of New York, gray eyes reflecting the neon lights shining on the wet pavement. She payed no mind to the two men leaning against the building to her left, ignoring their whistles and words she couldn't understand very well.

"Hey, baby!" The taller of the two crooned and slid into her path. His friend blocked her path behind her as well. "You wanna go to a party? We need a hot date." He leaned into her face.

**"My English was getting better, though."**

Faye scoffed and shoved him back, "Fuck off." She demanded and tried to push past him, but he grabbed her wrist and yanked her arm above her head, wrenching her shoulder.

"What did you just say, cunt?" He snarled, inches from her face.

"Yo, let's teach her some manners, man, come on." He grabbed her hips and started pushing her back into a side ally.

This was when she first lashed out with an elbow to the other guy's ribs, making him grunt. "отстань от меня!" She demanded and tried to run, but he still had her wrist held tightly. "Помоги мне!" She yelled into the darker streets, but only a few saw her, and those that did turned away and pretended not to hear her.

When the man behind her tried to cover her mouth, she bit down on his thumb as hard as she could, and while he was howling she twisted her wrist free. She brought her knee into her first man's groin and drew back to punch his nose. Her elbow knocked into the other man's eye and he staggered back as well. She went through with the punch and stomped the knee of man behind her.

She took the opportunity to grab her purse from the sidewalk and run, but she wasn't ten feet from the scene when she slammed into a broad chest. She pushed away immediately and raised her fists to fend off another attacker, but the man just smiled down at her and held out a card. He wore a stiff suit and had hands that could crush Faye's if he so desired.

"That was most impressive," Faye drew back in surprise when he spoke her mother tongue fluently. "If you ever need a little extra money, give me a call. Ask for Boris." She hesitantly took the card, and he stepped around her. The men that had attacked her saw the conversation and suddenly looked very fearful of Faye. They took off running as fast as they could the other way.

Faye stood in the middle of the street, no cars in sight. She looked down at the card, but could only read the numbers on the card. She tucked it away for later and rushed back to her one room apartment.

**"I didn't think much of it, but I needed protection from people like that. And in the next week, I needed the money. Someone had complained about me not understanding what they were saying in a hospital room, so they just fired me because I wasn't supposed to be there anyway. So I gave Boris a call."**

Faye took a hard punch across the jaw and staggered from the hit. A crowd surrounding her and the taller, buffer woman roared in approval, screaming for blood. The floor was just packed dirt, dotted here and there with Faye's blood. Her eye was almost swelled shut, and her nose was bleeding, but she still glared at the blonde woman opposite her.

"Do you want to eat this week or not, Faye?!" Boris yelled from the side lines. He was pacing the skirts of the crowd, face pinched in rage at her imminent defeat. Dimitri was looking on, worried, but not intervening.

Faye froze, the sweat shinning down her bare back formed a drop just under her black bra and was soaked up by the spandex shorts she wore. She stood up straight and dropped her bandaged fists to relax at her side. The women stood still, panting.

"Is this your surrender?" The woman in front of her asked. Faye didn't move, but kept her metal gaze on her.

"KILL HER!" Someone in the crowd roared. Blondie glanced around and shrugged, as if agreeing. Boris shook his head and started to weave back through the crowd, frustration at losing another bet evident in his posture.

Blondie swiped a bloody fist out at Faye, aiming straight for her nose. Faye rose to her toes mid strike and spun to the outside of Blondie's arm, on the way, she grabbed her wrist and twisted. While she was off balance, Faye dragged her over her back to flip her onto the dirt, face down. She planted a bare foot on her back and twisted her wrist just enough to be painful.

"Yeild." Faye commanded in the quiet circle.

The crowd soon started their mostly outraged roars that the bigger opponent they had been betting on was down. Boris stopped and turned at the back of the crowd, before fighting his way back to the front. When he saw that Faye had won, he grinned.

"You might just be useful after all."

**"He actually trained me to fight as hard as I could after that. The first fight was just a trial. I have good balance, and strike fast. Eventually they started to call me Scorpion. I was making at least 500 a week for my cut, and learning English from Boris, who told me he wanted to get me ready for other things he needed help with."**

"Boris, I don't know if I can do this." Faye fiddled nervously with the tie on her robe. She had stage makeup on with swirls decorated around her eyes and a hot pink mouth, and her long hair was fluffed and curled.

Boris didn't look up from his phone while he typed rapidly. "Doesn't matter what you think. You have to do it. You have thirty seconds." Faye looked down and stared at her light pink nails. Boris glanced up, and sighed. He tucked his phone into his suit pocket and pushed her chin up with a finger. "Look. I already have my money for this. Everything you get out there, you get to keep. This job doesn't require that you have your face beaten in twice a week, so I thought it would be better. Just try it."

She pressed her lips together and reached up to rub at her lip nervously, but Boris bat her hand down so she wouldn't ruin her lipstick. "Okay." Faye agreed, "I'll give it a try. But you aren't my pimp." She gave a teasing smile.

Boris chuckled, "No, if tonight goes well enough, that will be Gus' job." Faye's smile dropped in a flash. Before she could ask, he ushered her through the red curtain and onto a long catwalk.

The lights blinded her at first, and she blinked against them before her gaze adapted. She could hear people shifting around her, silent except the scrape of chairs and glasses on tabletops, but saw nothing because of the light. A smooth saxophone started to play through the speakers, a song she recognized from practice, and she took a deep breath and untied the tie around her waist.

**"The dance went well, and I was put under the jurisdiction of Gus, a step up from underground fighting. I was good. 'Really' good."**

**Carol rolled her eyes, "Okay, we get it, you're sexy. What happened next?" Everyone was giving her their full attention now.**

**Faye looked up and met Rick's eyes when she said clearly, "I killed someone."**

Faye was pressed to the ground in her club, hands over her head. She was dressed scantily in a black and red corset and matching short skirt. Her fishnet stockings were torn and there were a few cuts up her legs from broken glass.

At least ten caramel-skinned men moved around her, each heavily armed as they shouted orders in a different language she didn't understand. They were looking for someone.

Faye jumped a little when she felt a hand take her own, but when she saw Dimitri's familiar eyes next to her, she squeezed back.

Three of the men had crowded around Gus, mere feet in front of the two, and were shouting questions at him. He was deathly silent, on his knees but glaring, making his face look pudgier than normal. Suddenly, he swiped the gun in his face aside and rose with an uppercut punch to the first man's jaw.

Dimitri launched himself at the next man and started to wrestle for the gun on the ground. The last one was still trying to get a shot in at either of the men, but turned to Faye when she stood shakily. She spun in her stilettos and whipped a high kick directly under his chin. His head snapped back and he stumbled, cradling his jaw.

By now, other Russians were joining the fray with guns and bare fists, fighting back the Italians. Faye grabbed then twisted his thumb back so he dropped the larger gun in his right hand, and she could sock him across the jaw. Her fight training returned, but was difficult to do in heels. Going barefoot was not an option because of all the shattered glass.

The man was tougher than her regular opponents, however, and backhanded her 'hard'. She tripped over a body and fell back on the ground, legs draped over someone's dead torso. The man wiped the blood from his nose and kept advancing, drawing another sidearm on the way.

Faye glanced around frantically, regretting her decision to try and take the man down, when her eyes fell on the belt of the man she'd tripped over. He still had a gun, and she had seen others fire before, and knew what the safety was. It only took a moment's hesitation to yank the gun free and click the safety off. She fired twice into the man's chest.

His warm blood spattered over her front, and dripped down her face and between her breasts. The rest of the fighting dulled out while she stared down at the man she killed. His glassy brown eyes were fixed on a point behind her, never to move again.

She could have sat there for hours, or days, just staring with the gun still gripped in her hands. She was jolted out of it when Dimitri put a hand over the weapon and met her eyes. He was oddly calm, despite the many people dragging bodies out the back doors to dispose of. She dropped the gun and flung her arms around his neck, and he picked her up bridal style.

She barely heard Gus speak, "Get her trained with a gun. I want both of you on my personal guard as soon as possible."

**"And it was during that time that I realized exactly how deep that organization went. The Russians ran the city." Faye leaned into Daryl's arm when he draped it across her shoulders in a calming gesture.**

**"It was like I had been digging myself deeper and deeper into the ground, and only realized I couldn't get out when I couldn't breathe."**

Faye and Dimitri stood on either side of Gus, backs straight and formal looking with their hands clasped in front of them. They both wore dark red button downs topped with crisp black suits and no ties. Gus was seated at a poker table, cards spread face down in front of him. Another man, dressed in his own suit, but with a white shirt, sat across from them with his own cards. Two men stood on either side of him wearing similar outfits.

They were in a very expensive looking dining room, with a crystal chandelier and glass cabinets on a bear skin rug. It was in an older house in a fancier side of town, an hour's drive from where Faye and Dimitri lived in their new all floor apartment.

The man had a shiny bald head and a stiff Russian nose, and would probably stand at least two heads taller than Faye if he wasn't sitting.

"Let's make this more interesting." He said, and interlaced his fingers.

Gus narrowed his eyes, "What do you mean, Ivan? Normal rules."

Ivan shook his head, "I want more than expensive vodka this time, Gus. You see," He leaned back in his chair, smirk on his thin lips. "I am trying to expand our territory past Madison Square Garden. And I need more..discrete, men to help."

Gus was already shaking his head, "Have you told Sachar about this plan? I doubt he would approve."

Ivan waved his hand nonchalantly, "Ach! He will thank me in the end. If all goes well, we will have an extra two blocks for the Thieves."

"I will not go against his orders, Ivan." Gus took a sip from his glass, "And that's final."

Ivan looked frustrated and scoffed, "You probably don't even have any men I could use, if you've turned to putting your whores on your staff."

Dimitri's fists tightened in front of him. Faye narrowed her eyes at his bald head. Gus just chuckled, "Careful, Ivan. This one has venom. I got her from Boris."

Ivan perked up, "I have an idea. If your slut can take down my own guards, you don't have to help. I forget all about it." He picked up his glass, "But if she loses, I get five men of my choice."

Gus raised his eyebrows and turned to Faye, "What do you say, Scorpion? You in the mood to dance?"

Faye smirked devilishly, "Sir, I would love to." She shrugged her blazer off and handed it to Dimitri.

"Go easy on them, twinkle toes." He said softly so Ivan couldn't hear. She snorted in reply, as if to say, "No promises."

She and his guards moved to the bigger living room, and faced off. "Rules," said Ivan, "No weapons, only to surrender or blackout, and don't break my house like Boris' other thugs did. Ready, GO!" He swiped his hand down.

Faye rushed at them first, sliding on her knees and elbowing the back of the left one's knees so he fell. She sprung up and hit the second across the jaw, then stomped the other back down with her heel. She stepped over him, towards the second, and snapped a kick at his ribs. He caught her and tried to swing her onto the couch, but she jumped on top of the cushions with her last leg and leaned into her other leg. He tripped over his rising companion with the push she gave him, and dragged her on top of him. She straddled his chest, one knee on the other's back, and raised a fist.

"Stop!" Ivan held up his hand. "I've seen enough." Faye nodded and dismounted the men. She hadn't even broken a sweat. Ivan was still smiling as Dimitri helped her slide her arms back into her jacket. "I didn't believe it at first, when Gus called you the Scorpion, but now that I've seen it, it's an honor." He shook her hand. "You've brought nearly six hundred dollars more to every fight, and killed however many for the Thieves. Apologies for any earlier comments." He kissed her hand.

"Six." Faye said quietly.

Ivan glanced up, "What was that, dear?"

"I've killed six people in the name of the Thieves."

Gus waved her away, "Okay, that's quite enough! Well," He turned to Ivan, "I realize that perhaps we have over stayed our welcome. Same time next week?" Ivan agreed and saw him out.

**"I stayed around Gus for another two years, and was there when we got called in front of the boss, Sachar."**

"I need to borrow the Scorpion for a special task, Gus. I'm sure it will not be a problem." Sachar spoke casually while he poured a drink behind his desk. 

Gus shook his head, "No trouble at all, sir. Keep her for as long as necessary." He was very quick to please.

Sachar nodded, "Good. Leave us."

Dimitri looked over his shoulder at Faye's back before he closed the double doors behind Gus and him. She was alone with him, standing tall but her flitting gaze betrayed her nervousness.

"Gus has been wasting you as a guard." He started, swirling his drink, "How would you like to play in the big leagues? Work alongside the Czar?"

Faye scoffed and glided around one of the chairs in front of her and sat across it, legs over the armrest. Sachar raised his eyebrows at her confidence, but looked more impressed that she would be so casual than anything. Faye rubbed at her lip and stared up at the ceiling, tracing the curves of the silver chandelier with her eyes.

"What would you have me do?" She asked.

Sachar grinned, knowing he had her.

**"From then on, it was undercover work. I was taught to imitate accents as I heard them, and infiltrated the Italian mob. I had to learn Spanish to pretend that I had come from Spain." Faye chuckled and spoke in an Italian accent, "All the mobsters want white girls, is what Sachar told me."**

**Daryl was picking leaves and clumps of dried blood and mud out of her hair while she leaned back against his chest.**

**"I would dress up, hang on some guy's arm for a night, get him alone, and kill him. Or I would lead him somewhere that other Thieves could finish the job." She rubbed at her lip, eyebrows drawn, "But that is just as bad."**

**Daryl combed his fingers through her short hair slowly, trying to calm her down. He ignored the way Carol watched the gesture like she knew a secret he didn't.**

**"It was after one of those nights that I drank a little too much at the party afterwards. I went home, and fell asleep. When I woke up I was naked." She sniffed and turned her eyes down. "And Dimitri was just humming in the kitchen and calling me Princess like nothing was wrong, but I knew." She leaned back against Daryl without realizing it. He gladly pulled her closer with an arm across her ribs, just under her breasts.**

**Maggie leaned forward and put a hand on her knee, "Faye, you don't have to-"**

**"-yes I do." She looked at Carol, "Talking about it will help."**

Faye was leaning over the toilet, vomiting up her breakfast and all around suffering. She glared at the door when she heard Dimitri knock, "Faye, you okay? Should I call Sachar?"

"Yeah," Faye yelled back and picked up a little stick with two lines on the screen. "Tell him I can't come in." Dimitri called back his affirmation and she heard his footsteps receding.

Later in the day, Faye entered a Planned Parenthood facility wearing a long yellow sundress, a black hat, and sunglasses. She kept her head down and shuffled inside, still wearing her scuffed and dirty combat boots.

"Excuse me," She spoke to the lady at the front desk softly with a Boston accent, "I think I need to get an abortion."

The woman smiled and said, "Okay. Just fill out these forms and provide some form of ID." She handed her a clipboard and a pen. "When you're done, I'll ping you in to see someone." Faye nodded and started to fill in her information according to her fake passport she kept from when she first came in on the fishing boat.

She handed in the form, got her ID back and sat back down. The bell rang again with the arrival of a new person, a young Italian woman with a kind round face, probably about thirty or forty years old. Faye wouldn't have cared, if she hadn't been wearing a gold chain with an intricate gold cross around her neck. Most wouldn't care, but Faye recognized the chain as a symbol of membership in the Italian mob. She kept her head down.

It was hard not to overhear her conversation with the help desk lady. "Hi, Jody!" The Italian greeted. "I just need to pick up some more aftercare stuff."

The woman, Jody, nodded and headed into the back, but kept talking to her over the desk, "What was this, your fourth home birth? Very impressive!"

She shook her head, "Yes, my fourth. But a home birth is actually safer than hospital. And so much more intimate!" She smiled dreamily.

Jody chuckled and came back empty handed, "Well that's for you, I guess. Give me an epidural any day. I'm also really sorry, Gloria, but your vitamins won't be here until later, at least thirty minutes. The truck is coming in late, but they definitely are coming."

Gloria nodded, still smiling, "Oh, that's fine! I don't have anything else to do and your magazines are current than mine." She sat down across from Faye and picked up one of the tabloids. Faye ducked below her hat to keep her eyes hidden.

They were only waiting for a few more minutes when a male doctor entered and called out her fake name, "Frankie?" Faye raised a hand and got up to head back. Gloria eyed her boots suspiciously, but scoffed and turned away, muttering about "crazy fashion these days."

"Now, first we need to do a sonogram to make absolute certain that it really is a pregnancy. We don't want to get you started on the pills and have it just be illness or bloating." The doctor tried to explain, but Faye was distracted by the thought of the woman out front. She was vulnerable if she decided to call her sons or husband and tell them about the Russian woman in the Planned Parenthood.

She came out of it when the time came to lift her dress and do the sonogram. The gel was cold, but she didn't flinch back, something the doctor praised her for. He pressed the device down under her bellybutton and searched for something on the grainy screen until, "Aha! There we are. Listen to that heartbeat!"

The sound of a quick heartbeat filled to room, and the lines monitoring the baby's heartbeat formed peaks and ridges as they measured its vitals. "It looks like you're about eleven weeks along, which means you can still qualify for an abortion without surgery. Miss?"

He tried to get Faye's attention, but she was staring at the screen. Eleven weeks ago she woke up naked in a bed she'd fallen into fully dressed. This was Dimitri's baby. No, it was her baby. She was making it, right now it was growing.

"I want to keep it." She said under her breath.

"I'm sorry, what?" The doctor leaned forward to hear her better.

"I want to keep it. It's my baby."

She barely took the time to wipe the gel off of her stomach before rushing back out of the room and through the hallway. She opened the door to the waiting room and let out a sigh of relief when she saw Gloria still there.

"Ma'am!" She sat down next to her, "I have a proposition for you that I think you will want to hear." The woman recognized her accent and slowly set the magazine back on the table between them.

**"For the next nine weeks, I gave information to the Italians in exchange for a safe place away from the Thieves. They didn't tolerate any of their unmarried women getting pregnant, and even if I did marry Dimitri, I didn't want my baby to be raised with the dangers that came with the mob." Faye tugged at a stray string on her sweatshirt and looked off into the darker trees surrounding them.**

**"And that safe place happened to be Georgia?" Glenn sounded disbelieving.**

**Faye shook her head, "No, it was South Carolina. I walked the rest of the way when the world ended."**

**Beth's eyes widened at the words, "So you had an emergency c-section and then hiked from South Carolina to Georgia?!"**

**"Well, I had the surgery because I was stabbed first."**

**Carl sided up to Beth, "What?! How?"**

**Faye shot them a fake glare, "Well if you'd let me tell the story..."**

**They both smiled sheepishly and leaned back into their fathers arms.**

Faye pulled away from Gloria's embrace, smiling with wet eyes. "Grazi, Gloria. I don't know what I would have done without you."

The older woman chuckled and held both of her hands. Faye's stomach was more rounded, but still small compared to a normal pregnancy. Faye thanked small miracles, because if the baby, which she had just learned was a girl, was any bigger, she may have been noticed.

She wore baggy clothes and stuck to indoor and at home work, mostly. She wasn't fighting or stripping anymore, obviously, and was transferred under Ivan's staff. She made it clear that she needed a break from violence, no she wasn't going soft, and yes she would return soon, but knew she would be far away by the time they got any word.

"Just be careful out there, cariña. There's some new virus going around that's making people go rabid, and I hear it's especially bad in the south." She tapped her nose fondly, "We wouldn't want anything to come of the little one, now would we?"

Faye rolled her eyes, "Ey yei yei, Gloria. You worry too much." The woman smiled and kissed her temple firmly before sending her off on the street. "Adios, Amiga! Mejores deseos para usted!" Faye called. Gloria waved back just before she got into a cab.

Across the street, Dimitri watched the exchange through wide eyes from a outdoor coffee shop. He ran a hand down his face and sighed heavily. "О, Фэй. Что делаешь?" He said softly. He stared at his phone on the table in front of him for a few minutes before he picked it up and held down the number 1. It rang twice before someone answered. "Hello, Ivan? We...we have a problem."

**"I was so close to the airport, where I knew I couldn't be hurt. They wouldn't risk arrest with so many cameras and witnesses. But I was caught on the way."**

Faye was shoved back against the side of a cinder block building, crying out at the sudden movement. "Please, just stop-!" She was struck across the face, drawing blood from her nose.

"Nobody is above the Thieves, Scorpion. You know that better than anyone." One of the three men that had taken her by surprise pulled her up by the collar of the sweater she wore. "You killed plenty of deserters yourself, after all." He threw her onto the damp ground, leaving her at his team mate's mercy.

She noticed the threat approaching and crab walked backwards until she could grab her purse, and pull a sleek silver gun from it. She swiped it to aim up at him, but she'd barely twisted before he kicked it from her hand. She kept trying to scramble back, but the third was waiting behind her to pin her in a choke hold.

"Why did you have to do this, Faye?" Dimitri asked while he stepped up to her thrashing form. He was holding a sheathed knife.

Faye recognized him and stopped struggling to sputter, "N-no, Dimitri, you don't understand...!"

He shook his head, "I understand enough." In one fluid motion, he drew the knife and stabbed upward into her stomach.

She gasped and froze in shock and pain. He withdrew the knife and she fell forward to her knees. Tears flowed down her face as she looked up to meet Dimitri's eyes before she fell forward to the pavement and took a few more shuddering breaths before falling still.

Dimitri stared down at her dead form in pity, before a slap on the arm from one of his comrades drew him away. He ran off and escaped up the ally with them, after they emptied her purse of any money to make it look like a typical robbery.

When their footsteps receded, Faye took a deep, shuddering breath and looked up to make sure they were really gone. She came onto her hands and knees and whimpered from pain, but stood up despite it. She abandoned her purse and backpack full of her things, and staggered up the ally, cupping her bleeding belly and murmuring, "Please be okay...you have to be okay..."

She made it to a payphone and punched in a number, leaving bloody prints behind on the keypad. "Hola?" The voice was full of static.

"Gloria, it's Faye. Something happened." She coughed and spit up blood down her chin. "I need help." She was still crying.

╰☆╮╰☆╮╰☆╮

"Gloria managed to send a team to find me, and I was rushed into the Emergency room at Brooklyn Methodist. They had to do surgery, and did a hysterectomy. My baby was already dead when I got there."

The group was quiet. Lori was sniffing and wiping away tears, while Rick sat next to her looking horrified. The rest of the group was much the same, but she didn't look at any of their faces so she wouldn't break down.

Faye continued quietly, "But there was something the nurse said, that me surviving something like that was a small victory." Her voice cracked and she took a tighter grip on Daryl's arms. "So I named her Nikita."

"They must have realized that I escaped when the news didn't mention a dead woman found in an ally, and followed me. Since I worked for all of them at one point, and Dimitri knew me best, they would have wanted to handle it personally." She curled in on herself. "I'm sorry I led them right to us."

T-Dog held up a finger, "Hold up, you think they tried to track you through the God damn apocalypse?! That's ridiculous!"

Faye shook her head, "Doesn't matter. They were going to hurt you to get to me. It's still my responsibility."

Rick stood up and crossed the clearing to crouch next to her while she watched with cautious eyes. "The only people to blame for this are them, Faye." He said in his 'sheriff voice', "In the end, you fought for US, and we made it. Everyone's okay, you know that, right?"

She nodded slowly. He pat her knee and crossed the site again. Beth and Carl glanced at each other, and seemed to come to some kind of agreement, because they both stood up at the same time and stepped over people to get to Faye and Daryl.

Daryl and Faye eyed them suspiciously, but all they did was sit down next to them and hug them both from either side.

"Mmph!" Faye blinked under the pressure and warmth from the kids, and before she could stop herself, she started to tear up. She was smiling, but tears trickled down her cheeks and dripped onto their sleeves. "Oh my god, I'm sorry...! I don't know why I'm crying! But I also want to laugh so I don't know!" A few chuckles echoed around the group.

"Thank you for saving me, Faye." Carl said softly so only the closely huddled people could hear.

Faye sniffed and yanked him closer, "Shut up and let me snuggle on you, чемпион." He laughed and climbed to kneel next to her lap so he could find a more comfortable position.

"Don' keep anything stressing you out to yourself, Sweet Thang." Daryl mumbled in her ear, "Ain't healthy."

Beth nodded, "It's like you told me, no matter how you change or what you did, we'll still be here to love you."

Faye sniffed and nodded frantically, "Okay. Thank you."

"There's one thing that's bugging me, though." T-Dog spoke up, drawing attention to him, "How the hell did you escape the quarry? I mean, you jumped off a cliff, for Christ's sake!"

Faye snickered and wiped her eyes quickly. She felt lighter after crying. "There was a narrow ledge I grabbed onto and held on for a few minutes, then dropped into the water. Just a huge stroke of luck and finger strength." She wiggled her fingers and winked at Maggie.

The brunette rolled her eyes, "Yeah, she'll be fine."


	9. Dance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (I do not own The Walking Dead)

Rick shook his head, "No. It's a lost cause. There are too many bodies outside for it to be safe." He, Glenn, Hershel, Maggie, and Glenn stood on a highway overpass looking over an Academy Sports and Outdoor store. There were rows of tents in the parking lot, and stacks of bodies wrapped in white right outside the building. It looked abandoned, as no walkers had moved from the lot since Maggie and Glenn had found it.

Faye leaned over the concrete barrier casually and said, "Is it even worth the risk? What is in," She squinted at the sign above the doors, "A-cad-emy." She glanced back at Daryl when she finished reading, and he nodded to tell her she was right. She did a small fist pump and smiled in celebration.

Maggie answered her while she slung an arm over her shoulders and leaned against her like they were best friends. Since the Thieves attacked a month ago, they had gotten close enough to act almost like a couple. "They sell all kinds of stuff we need," She said, "Weapons, blankets, tents, generators."

Faye closed her eyes and hummed with a blissful look on her face, "Mmm, don't stop," she moaned.

Maggie snickered but played along, "Protein bars, sleeping bags, clothes, shoes, water, guns, ammo," she listed seductively. Faye opened her eyes and grinned, "I love it when you talk dirty to me."

A few chuckles sounded from around the group at their antics, except from Hershel, who just sighed and said like he always did, "May God bless your soul, Faye." He said it like routine now.

The Russian threw her hands into the air with clear exasperation and demanded, "Why do you only say that to me?!"

Rick was smiling a little easier around the smaller group. They had all noticed that he was more relaxed when Lori wasn't around, and vice versa for Lori. As a result, Carl had taken to hanging around Faye and Daryl more, if only for the complete lack of tension and easy way they talked to him, as if he wasn't a kid. Daryl knew that there was no room for childish anything in the apocalypse, and that there was no point in nurturing that anymore. Faye just didn't know how to act around kids and had no filter, so she treated Carl like a friend more than anything.

Daryl stared down at the lot for a while more, and concluded, "If people were living in the store, they were probably the ones to move those bodies out. There wouldn't be as many inside." Rick rubbed the scruff on his chin, the other on his thinning hips. They were starving, and running low on supplies. He knew they might have to risk going in, or they would be staying out unprepared. Eventually, he nodded, "We take a vehicle down, so we have an easier escape if need be. Only a couple should go, and we'll be on standby if they need backup."

Daryl lifted his crossbow to aim just past Rick, and fired up the road at a lone walker shambling their way. The sheriff didn't even flinch when the bolt flew just inches from his head, displaying his trust for the hunter. Glenn scoffed jokingly, "Show off."

Daryl chuckled while he reloaded. "Faye and I should go. We're quick enough to get out if need be, an' we can take the bike." Rick nodded, "Sounds good. You wanna go now?" He addressed the woman.

Faye nodded, "Daryl has all his arrows, and I have my knives and three more bullets." Rick nodded. "Try to be back within an hour or so. We'll meet back at camp." They nodded and started heading back to Daryl's bike parked next to the other vehicles.

"I'll get your arrow, Honey. Warm up the bike?" Faye fluttered her lashes at the hunter.

Daryl scoffed, "Sure thing, Cupcake. Just don't get any walker guts all over ya." Faye snickered and crouched to pull the arrow from the Walker's skull.

Maggie snorted from where she heard them and Rick shook his head at their antics. They had started to call each other pet names as insults after Faye had continuously called Daryl 'Sugar'. Daryl had started it to irritate her, but it backfired as she just joined in and it became a part of their normal conversations. Carol had overheard and joined in as well, but mainly stuck to 'Pookie'. Daryl, surprisingly, didn't seem to mind.

 

The parking lot was completely free of walkers, save for the ones trapped inside the tents that struggled to reach the two through the tarp. They were on high alert as they approached the store, but encountered no resistance until they got to the glass doors. Dozens of walkers were trapped in the double door entryway, slamming themselves against the dirty glass repeatedly at the prospect of a new meal.

Faye wrinkled her nose, "Gross. What now?" Daryl shrugged, "Dunno. We don't know how much more are past 'em in the shopping area, and that's too much for us to take alone." He stepped back when a larger male walker was squished against the glass to the point of his delicate skull popping open in a gory display of brains. Faye gagged and looked away, only for her gaze to fall on a street sign that read 'TRUCK DELIVERY AROUND BACK'. She mouthed the words to herself and then smiled. "I have an idea."

Daryl peered down his crossbow sights at the opossum and fired one of his hand made arrows. It impaled the fat animal's hind leg and prevented it from moving while it screeched in pain. He quickly snatched it up and jogged back up the road towards the store, where T-Dog was backing an emptied delivery truck up as close to the doors as possible. He met up with Faye, who was holding a vulture with a bleeding wing by the feet and looking damn proud of herself.

"How the hell did'ja get that?" He asked in astonishment.

She smiled a wide, toothy grin and answered excitedly, "I just snuck up on it while it was eating! He put up quite a fight, though." The bird flapped around a bit, and Faye flinched back, but didn't let go. Daryl snickered at the thought of her sneaking up behind the bird and wrestling it to the ground.

Carl caught sight of their animals and ran over to join them. "Whoa, that's so cool! They're the bait?" Daryl nodded and handed him his bow so he could get a better grip on the rodent's tail. Carl sunk a little under the weight but kept his balance.

He really was bulking up with all the running and lifting they did everyday. Carl could probably lift Beth now, if he had to, and vise versa for Beth as well. Faye had discovered a hidden talent in the blonde, and that was speed in her movements. She was an excellent climber, mostly of buildings, but she could hold her own in a tree as well, and landed like a cat every time she had to jump from a tall height. In fact, her job in their plan to clear the building of most of the Walker's had her playing the crucial role of closing the hatch in the back. She was currently scaling the front of the truck to wait near the back at that very moment.

Daryl and Faye took their kills past Glenn and Maggie, who were waiting by the sides of the truck to close and lock the back with a few chains they had found by the trucks. Glenn jerked away from the dying animals they held and cringed when he saw them. "What's wrong, Chinaman?" Daryl waved the opossum closer to him, "You were pretty happy to eat one of these a couple nights ago."

Faye snickered a bit when his face paled a fraction, "I told you not to tell me what kind of meat that was!" He whined a bit.

Faye slapped Daryl's arm playfully, "Come on, Sweetcheeks, leave him be. Besides," She looked towards the glass doors that held all the dead, "I think it's about to pop." As if to emphasize her point, one male walker slammed his head against the doors hard enough to create hairline fractures in the glass.

Rick and Hershel pushed two sheets of scrap metal up on either side to funnel the dead in a somewhat orderly fashion and keep them from straying towards any living meat. Lori waited with Carl a distance away, both armed with guns and close to a car full of supplies should they have to flee quickly. Faye and Daryl chucked their prey as far as they could to the back of the truck, where the animals flopped around a bit before laying still to breathe heavily.

They moved around the truck to stand guard with Carl for any walkers that would be attracted by the noises that were about to ring out. "Alright, ready?" Rick called out. A few affirmations and thumbs up went around the group, before Rick raised Hershel's shotgun full of road salt and fired at the glass. The dead poured from the building and stayed to the path, focused solely on the writhing animals inside and mostly ignoring the men holding the panels up. Faye kept her eyes on the inside of the store, and saw that there would probably just be enough to fit.

The group finally crawled up the ramp and into the truck in one swarming mass of teeth and gore, so Faye called up, "Beth, now!" The blonde looked over the edge of the truck before jumping feet first and twisting in the air so she could grab the truck handle with both hands and drag it down to close. A few stray hands and legs were snapped off under the door, but it was closed and locked within a few seconds, thanks to Maggie and Glenn's quick acting. Daryl slapped the hood of the truck to signal T-Dog and Carol to go ahead and drive them far enough away from the store to not be a problem.

Maggie was cheering for Beth while the blonde took a mock bow. Carl and Lori exit the car and rushed over to congratulate the group while Rick busied himself with prying the sliding doors open. Daryl slapped Faye on the back and praised, "Good plan, Tinker Bell." Faye grinned but was barreled over by Beth's tackling hug. "Did you see that?! We have a place, now!" Her eyes were sparkling and her smile was bright. Not even Daryl was immune to the joy spreading through the group, and smirked in satisfaction.

 

"Are you as turned on as I am right now?" Faye asked Maggie while they stared down the stocked inventories of guns and food the people that took refuge before them had sorted. Maggie breathed out a "Yeah..." And sniffed.

Faye glanced at her smiling, "Are you crying?" She asked incredulously. The farm girl turned away and swiped at her eyes. "No," She sounded stuffy, "Shut up. There's dust everywhere." Faye bumped her hip with her own and teased, "Pussy." Maggie punched her arm, "Dick."

Daryl looked at them funny. "Ya'll are fucked up. C'mon," He raised his bow, "We gotta clear this out." The women nodded, instantly serious, and raised their own weapons. Glenn and Maggie, T-Dog and Daryl, and Rick and Faye, split into pairs and weaved through the shelves and ruined displays.

Daryl glanced back at Faye before she vanished from sight behind some shelves, and caught her already looking at him. She grinned and waved before she moved on, and Daryl scoffed and shook his head in response.

They moved through the store quickly, checking under shelves and any potential hiding spots for walkers. There looked to be only a few, mainly military soldiers with their helmets still on, so they would have to stab up through the chin. Occasionally, they would each give a whistle to inform the others of their safety and general whereabouts.

Tensions only got high when Rick and Faye encountered a group of five undead soldiers, all wearing helmets and stretching clawed hands at the pair.

"Shit...!" Rick muttered and hefted his machete higher. He managed to kill one while Faye stabbed one through the eye, but her blade hilt got caught on the edge and didn't pierce deep enough to kill it. The dead man continued to push against her, and caused her to stumble back into a shelf, making a large clatter.

Daryl's gaze snapped towards the noise and the sound of moans. He glanced at T-Dog, who nodded, face stony at the sign of trouble, and they both began to run towards the conflict.

There were two walkers snapping at Faye now, and she was barely keeping them at bay with hands on their slippery throats. "RICK!" She called for help, sounding strained. A quick glance towards the man saw him struggling with keeping the other two at bay, who looked a little bigger and fresher than the other two Faye was struggling with.

She grit her teeth when she realized she was on her own for this one, and snapped a leg out at the left one's knee. It cracked at the dead man fell, but continued to claw at her from the ground. She ignored it, as he wasn't going to be able to scratch through her thick jeans or boots, and used her now free hand to grip her knife again and twist it. The hilt loosened and finally slid all the way home, and the dead walker crumpled at last. The weight collapsed on her, however, and she ended up falling underneath the weight. Her head bounced off the linoleum beneath her, and caused a spike of pain to vibrate her skull.

Rick kicked one away so he could focus on the other more easily, and buried his machete under its chin and into its head. The blade stayed inside it when it sunk to the floor, and Rick was left defenseless against the second one when it lunged at him. He desperately pushed at it's shoulders, but it kept reaching for his face. He tripped over a baseball glove that had fallen off of the racks behind him, and landed on his back with the Walker on top of him, continuing to struggle.

Faye blinked against the pain in her head, and barely made out Rick struggling a few feet to her left before she got distracted by her other walker at her feet, gnawing on her boot. She yelped and tried to kick it off when she felt the pressure of its jaws and the dull scrape of its nails along her calf. "DARYL!" She yelled for his help on instinct, because that was the first person that came to mind in her adrenaline soaked thoughts.

And like a miracle, there he was, shooting the Walker at her feet and pushing the dead one off of her while Maggie and Glenn yanked the one off of Rick and killed it. Daryl pulled her by the shoulders to sit up and looked her over for bites. "I'm fine. I'm okay." She reassured him breathlessly, and he sighed in releif.

With immediate threats gone, the Russian felt a rush of exhaustion wash over her, and she thoughtlessly lunged for Daryl, wrapping him in a tight hug and pulling him partially on top of her in one move. He caught his balance with a hand on either side of her waist, and remained where he was for a moment, paralyzed with the foreign feeling of being used as a source of comfort.

Faye noticed and pulled back slowly, "Oh. Sorry, I just...yeah." She scoot back and out from under him and stood with support from the shelf next to her. Daryl rose as well, a little slower as he was still sorting though the thoughts and feelings that swarmed in his head like bees. Faye swayed and gripped the shelf tighter against the dizziness that threatened to send her back to the ground. It faded quickly, though, and gave her a chance to prod at the lump on the back of her head.

T-Dog noticed her flinch back and moved behind her to look for himself. "Holy shit!" He parted her shaggy hair to see the lump, "You're going to have a killer headache." Faye scoffed, "Gee thanks, Doctor Dog." He snorted and let her hair fall back into place. Daryl pulled himself out of his trance and said with a small pull to his lips, "I know a cure for that."

 

Later that night, the group sat around the three heat lamps in the center of the store. They'd sorted through their inventory and reloaded all their guns, and after eating a few protein bars, felt as if they were living like royalty. They had water and food to spare for now, so they were taking a night to relax.

Daryl's "cure" had been a bottle of whiskey he'd found in an old house they'd raided the day before, and after a few gulps, the exhaustion and dehydration had Rick, T-Dog, Carol, Faye, and Daryl delightfully tipsy.

Faye and Daryl sat back to back, leaning against each other and passing the last few mouthfuls of whiskey between them. "Faye," Lori spoke from where she was supporting a giggling Carol, "how about you dance a bit for us?" Daryl coughed on his sip of whiskey and sat up fully, causing Faye to fall on her back with a yelp and start giggling. The redneck looked at Lori, a fearful and surprised expression in his features, "With yer kid here? Are ya crazy?!"

Faye laughed from where she was rolling on the floor and she slapped Daryl's thigh to get his attention, "Daryl...Сахар, I think she means ballet." She continued to giggle where she lay. Daryl turned a shade of pink at the cheeks and leaned back a bit. "Oh." was all he said before he took another swig. All he could hope for now was no questions about how much he thought about Faye dancing on a pole.

Lori looked confused, but Carol whispered in her ear rather loudly, "She was a stripper, remember?" And a look of embarrassment crossed her features. "O-oh. Sorry." She said bashfully while the group laughed at the fumble.

Faye waved her hand, dismissing the comment. "Ach! Don't apologize! It was the best paying job I ever had." She snatched the bottle from Daryl and took a swig.

"Hey!" He protested and grabbed for it, but she held it out of his reach. Carl took it from her so neither could reach, and the boy sniffed at the contents and drew back. "Shit! What is this?" Faye snatched it back and chastised, "Carl! Watch your fucking language! The shit I put up with you and Daryl, I swear to God..." she raised the bottle to her lips.

Hershel shook his head, "May God-" Faye pointed a finger at the old man, "If you try to bless my soul one more time I swear to whatever God you believe in I will fucking CHUG this bottle." She tilted the bottle towards her mouth threateningly. Hershel sighed and shook his head, but held back a smile at her profanity. Daryl took the bottle back and put the lid back on. "I'm callin' it. When you start cussing out the elderly is where I draw the line."

Faye pouted but agreed. When she got too drunk her filter was practically non-existent, and she didn't want to start trying to grope Daryl or Maggie. Daryl was leaned back against a shelf, arms crossed and legs sprawled in front of him, looking more relaxed than Faye ever remembered him. Without really thinking, she settled back against his chest in a very low lounging position so the back of her head was on his sternum. He seemed confused for a second, but Faye tilted her head up to look at him and smirked, "You didn't hug me earlier, so this is your punishment."

He blinked down at her, unsure of what to do, and decided in his drunken state to cross his arms and rest them atop her head. He tried to act nonchalant, and just hoped Faye couldn't feel his heartbeat pounding on the back of her head.

Faye could totally feel his pulse skyrocket behind her. She guessed he was nervous about the physical contact, and put him at ease by resting her hands on his forearms. She realized this probably made it look like they were together, but if she regret it tomorrow, she could blame it on the alcohol. As long as she didn't cross any obvious lines, i.e the groping, she should be fine.

"Faye, do an accent!" Beth leaned forward from across the circle they'd formed. Rick raised his brows in interest, "Now this I gotta hear." Faye snickered and rubbed her eyes before asking, "Which one?" Carl laid his head across her thighs with his legs bent over Daryl's right leg. "Do Daryl's!" A wicked grin split her face. "Oh, yes."

She shifted a bit and cleared her throat to build anticipation, and quoted him from earlier that week. "Carl, good Lord, if yer gonna steal from me at least try not to git caught." A chorus of laughter resounded around the group from everyone except Daryl, who's mouth hung open in fake offence. "Ya made me sound like a damn Louisiana hillbilly!"

Faye shrugged and spoke normally, "If you think you can do mine better, you are welcome to try." A few cheers and claps echoed around the circle and T-Dog, who was spinning a basketball on the floor looked to Daryl and prodded, "You just gonna sit there and take that, man?" Daryl scoffed and looked away to think. He turned back with a teasing smile on his face, "You can take one man's trash to another man's treasure but you can't make it drink." He spoke with a wonderfully fluent accent that made everyone howl in laughter and astonishment.

Faye smacked his chest with the back of her hand, "I say this one time and you never let it go!" Her accent was thicker and slurred with the drink finally taking its hold. Rick waved her down, "Okay, okay wait. Do a Valley Girl!" Faye looked excited, "Oh! I know that! Okay," she cleared her throat, "And then he didn't hand me the frickin' shotgun and I was like, lay off, Daryl I'm a grown-ass woman!"

Daryl rolled his eyes when he remembered what she was referencing and said loud enough to be heard over the laughter, "Yeah, and right after you said that you dropped the damn thing." Faye nodded and said like she was proud, "Yes I did."

They continued like that for a while, until the generator needed to be cranked again and they agreed to settle down for the night. Maggie and Glenn took first watch to let the others sleep off their hangovers, and they divided into their sleeping areas. Faye unrolled her new sleeping bag a ways away from Daryl's, who stayed on the edge of the camp, as usual.

Just as they were all settling down to sleep, she heard Lori saying that she didn't want Carl sleeping with Rick when he smelled like booze, but Carl didn't want to sleep next to Lori, because her belly was bigger and there wasn't as much room in the blankets. The adults started to bicker, and Faye could tell it was only going to escalate, so she sat up in her sleeping bag and whistled softly to get Carl's attention. The boy looked up from his shoes and she waved him over, to which he smiled and headed over with a glance back at his parents, who didn't notice the interaction until he was halfway across the camp.

He toed off his shoes and crawled into the bigger bag with Faye, who glared at Rick and Lori in the dim light. "Get it together, you two," she whispered firmly. She didn't wait to hear a response before flopping back into the warmth and curling around Carl protectively. Daryl snorted from his pack and zipped it up to sleep with the rest of the group.

 

Faye picked up two matching black tomahawks wrapped in green para chord around the hilt. She grinned and sang softly, "Merry Christmas to me!" Before clasping the sheaths to her tool belt. She kept grinning while she went through the stocked weapons with Maggie and Hershel, and put aside a few with a longer reach for Carl and Beth.

Maggie picked up a black machete and sighed wistfully. "I never thought I would be this happy to find such violent weapons."

Hershel shook his head, "And I never thought I would be happy that my daughter had such violent weapons, but here we are." He picked up an ax and inspected it carefully.

"So," Maggie prodded Faye, "What's going on with you and Daryl?"

Faye glanced at her weird before going back to sorting. "I don't know," she said honestly, "I mean, right now I just want to be friends with him, but I've never had a normal friendship before. If you haven't noticed, I'm very...open, to physical contact, and he doesn't like it at all. I'm still looking for that compromise."

Maggie nodded, "You two are almost polar opposites, personality wise. It'll be difficult, but he's a good guy, from what I've seen of him."

Faye snorted, "Maybe that's why it is so fucking hard to get close to him in any way. To be as good as he is now, he had to have lived around something bad for a while. It may not make sense, but I kind of get that. It took me so long to realize that everyone is living a life that I'll never know the entirety of. Especially when I first came to America." She set down another hatchet with a sad sigh, "I will back off any physical contact for now. I don't want to push too hard and lose him as a friend."

Maggie nodded, "Whatever you think is right. Your gut is really the only thing you can trust with these kinds of things." She continued while she distracted herself with sorting again, "And, yeah, since the world ended everyone's had to change some way or another. You two were made for this world, it seems."

Faye snorted dryly and went back to sorting, "I'll tell you as soon as I find out if that's a good or bad thing."

 

Daryl and Glenn had the job of barricading the most vulnerable exists in the hopes of making this place last, and Glenn was happily chatting away, either unaware or ignoring the obviously one sided conversation.

"I just can't believe it took the end of the world for me to meet someone like Maggie, you know? It kind of seems like something that someone would say like, "You'll get a girlfriend when hell freezes over!". Some kind of insult like that." He pushed one of the larger shelves up to lean against the closed doors while he spoke.

"Is that what it'll take for you to stop talking?" Daryl grumbled.

Glenn snorted, "Sorry." And stopped talking for a while.

They were just lifting a fallen display rack when Glenn decided to start talking again, "So how's it going with you and Faye?"

The question distracted Daryl enough to make his hand slip from it's support on the side of the shelf, scraping his hand in the process, and send the giant metal crashing to the ground. The men managed to jump out of the way quickly enough, so no one was hurt.

"What the hell did'ja mean by that?! Faye and I are just..." He waved his hands while he looked for the words, "Friends! That's it!"

Glenn raised an eyebrow skeptically, "Funny how you'd rush to say that instead of talking about the giant metal shelf you almost killed us with."

Before he could retort, Rick and T-Dog arrived at the scene. "Everyone okay?" Rick asked urgently. Daryl nodded while Glenn explained that it just slipped while they were lifting it.

He clenched his fist around the scrape on his palm, planning on treating it later, but a familiar cheery voice, now flat with concern, spoke behind him. "What's wrong with your hand?"

He jumped and spun to face Carol, who had her arms crossed and eyebrows raised. He kept his hand clenched, "Nothin'. Just a scrape." She scoffed in disbelief and called for Hershel.

Faye arrived with the old man, but kept her eyes on the first aid kit, only sparing him a glance to see if he was okay when she arrived. Hershel treated his hand, and Faye was weirdly casual about the injury, refraining from smothering him with questions of if he was okay or not. At first, Daryl was glad that he wouldn't get irritated, but he felt a little disheartened that she seemed to ignore him in the situation.

On the sidelines, Maggie and Glenn exchanged a disbelieving look. "What's going on with them?" Glenn asked when they were out of earshot.

"Faye is just trying to give Daryl his space since he doesn't like physical contact." Maggie interlaced their fingers while they walked.

"Really?!" Glenn looked surprised, "But Daryl's just now starting to think about getting together!"

Maggie groaned dramatically, "Of all the things to survive the apocalypse, why did petty high school drama have to be one of them?" Glenn shrugged, "Could be fun though."

"Oh, absolutely!" Maggie nodded, "But I just worry about when they keep denying it months down the road and it starts to stress _us_ out."

Glenn snorted, "I love your priorities, babe."


	10. Instinct

"Again." Faye ordered Beth and took up another starting position.

Beth groaned and complained, "Haven't you punched me enough, already?" But shifted her feet into a boxer's stance.

Faye chuckled, "No," and swung a slowed hit that was caught, "Whoever you're fighting will want to hurt you, but I don't want to, so I'm going slow. You need to learn how to defend yourself, especially if you're a woman."

Beth snapped a kick at her side in response. Faye caught her leg and shoved her forward, so she toppled onto her ass, cushioned by the gymnast padding they had laid out. "I'll just shoot 'em!" Beth got up quickly.

Faye smirked and took a different position, "You sound like Carl." She started with a punch to the gut, just enough to knock the wind out of her, then gripped her shoulder and flipped Beth over her back.

She was pulling the teen back up again when Rick and Carl approached the mat. "You giving her a hard time?" The sheriff started. Beth and Carl started play-fighting behind her while they conversed.

"Who, me?" She looked off and said dramatically, "I wouldn't dream of it!" Rick chuckled and she dropped the charade with a smile, "Just kidding. I'm kicking her ass, which is really disappointing since we've been doing this for however many weeks."

Rick ignored Beth's protest of "Hey!" right before Carl tackled her. "I think it's good, teaching them. Soon they'll be stronger than us." He smiled while he watched them roughhouse.

Faye shrugged her shoulders and said nonchalantly, "I could teach everyone, if you wanted. It could be safer if we could all get out of a bind." She snapped her fingers at Beth, "Use his hair! Gently!" The blonde responded by pulling Carl's growing mane to tilt his head back and escape the hold.

Rick nodded, also ignoring his son's repeated cries of "I give! I give!". "What about Lori? Do you think she's getting too big to learn this kind of stuff?"

"Hard to tell. But if she's willing to learn, I'm willing to teach."

Rick nodded, considering.

Faye asked him without turning her head, "Do we need more blankets? It's getting awfully chilly at night now."

"You sure it's not just because you're sleeping alone?" She didn't miss the teasing ring in his voice. "But we could use some other things like hygiene stuff and more water. You want to go out later and look through the other stores around here?"

Faye nodded, "Yeah, it'll give me a chance to test my hatchets. I'm starting to go a little stir-crazy in here."

"Take Daryl with you. He's almost out of targets to release tension on."

"Are you sure?" Faye asked skeptically, head tilted and finger rubbing her lower lip, "We haven't been the closest of comrades lately, what with the whole silent treatment he's been giving me."

Rick hummed in acknowledgement. "Try sleeping with him." He tried to push his grin down but ultimately failed, "Maybe that'll help him warm up to you. Literally."

Faye pressed her lips together and tried desperately to contain the laughter bubbling up in her chest. "You're such a Dad." She said fondly, and he gave a mock bow in response.

He and the woman watched the fight in front of them until Carl looked up from pinning Beth's arm back. "Hey, Faye!" He let her go and she rolled over on the mat. "I bet today's chores that we can both beat you!"

Faye smirked, "Fine, but no real hits, okay? The last thing I need is your mom coming after me for bruising her baby's face." Carl grumbled "I'm not a baby..." But stood with Beth to take her on.

Daryl joined Rick on the edge of the mat as soon as Faye tackled Carl around the middle and slung him over her shoulder. They exchanged nods in greeting and watched Faye get pinned beneath Carl when he sat on her middle back and slam the mat with a flat palm to clearly convey her surrender.

"You and Faye are going out on a run later. I'll make ya'll a list of what we need and you can go check the other stores 'round here." Rick sounded nonchalant, like it was no big deal, but Daryl knew differently.

He and Faye had drifted apart in the past month, and it didn't seem like they were going to be talking anytime soon with neither of them trying too make a move. He blamed himself, because this kind of thing seemed like it would happen to him. He pushed away her physical advances, however platonic they were, because he wasn't used to being touched casually, but now he craved the familiarity she took with his body. He missed the playful bumps of her hip, her arms casually slung over his shoulders when she leaned on him from behind, and most of all, he missed talking to her and making her smile. He'd never done that before, and now, like a pussy, he was missing some woman that was never his to begin with.

He wasn't even lustful towards her, despite how good she looked in the thermal leggings she wore around the store, but he craved the casual friendship she initiated. He stared at her with longing now, but damn it all to hell if he was going to tell anyone about it. He'd rather just let her do what she wanted, at least then she wouldn't feel like she had to spend time with him to spare his feelings.

Faye sat up, chest heaving with exertion and laughter when Beth fluffed up her longer hair. The mousy brown was past her ears now and almost always messy, giving her a constant "just rolled out of bed" look. Rick motioned her over and she rose up smoothly and crossed the mat, flashing a polite smile at Daryl. Rick told her what he told Daryl, and then went to play with his son on the mat, leaving them alone for a moment.

Daryl shifted awkwardly as the silence stretched on, and if Faye noticed his discomfort, she broke it with the question, "You want to get ready? I'll pack my own bag, so you don't have to worry about that." Daryl nodded swiftly and turned his back on her to find his supplies. He missed the disappointing look that pulled at Faye's features when he didn't respond to her.

 

"Daryl wait!" Faye called ahead to the hunter, who immediately froze and raised his weapon around them. They had just left the truck to check Faye's traps while they were out before they went to the drug store. "What is it?" He asked urgently. She just smiled to put him as ease and pointed up at the gray skies.

Small flakes of snow drifted from above and stuck to the damp grass at their feet. Faye grinned and tilted her head up towards the cold snow, reveling in the familiar feeling of the icy weather. Daryl stared at her for a few seconds and memorized what a genuine smile looked like on her face.

Eventually he grunted and kept walking, "We should find shelter or head back if it starts to really come down." He got about five feet before he realized she wasn't following him, and turned back to find her just staring at him in disbelief. "What?" He asked, not intimidated.

She huffed and ran the side of her finger over her bottom lip in a frustrated gesture. "Okay, what did I do?" He blinked in confusion, but she kept going. "I was making you uncomfortable with the physical contact, but now that I stopped to try and help you, you don't talk to me. If you don't want me around, just tell me right out so I can stop losing sleep!"

He stared at her with surprise. She felt the tension too? He recognized the irony of the situation, that they each thought the other was avoiding them. Before he could stop it, he felt a chuckle escape his lips and tried to hide it behind his hand.

She clenched her fists in frustration and growled out, "Really?! You're laughing?!" He shook his head, even though he was still smiling and letting small laughs escape on occasion. She turned around and started to march off back towards the highway, but Daryl lunged forward to catch her wrist and yank her back into a hug.

"Damn, Tinker Bell, I thought you were mad at me!" He grumbled in her ear. She scoffed and returned the hug. "So you're okay with me touching you?" She asked in a small voice. He nodded into her shoulder but didn't say anything else.

It was hard for both of them to pull away, especially since they were warmer together, but they had to when a few groans sounded from the trees. They pulled apart and saw three walkers headed towards them, joints slowed by the cold and frost on their clothes.

Daryl hefted up his bow, "Well come on, Sweet Thang." He fired through the closest's head, "You just gonna stand there?" He felt giddy on the knowledge that they were back on safe grounds.

Faye grinned and drew both of her hatchets, "Of course not, Sugar." She hacked the other two while Daryl reloaded leisurely. "What about you? Just going to stand there staring? I mean, I can understand why," She ran a hand through her hair seductively, "I am the third hottest woman left on Earth."

Daryl scoffed, "Third?" Faye nodded enthusiastically and said like it was obvious, "Da. Maggie and Carol. Lori doesn't count because she's already married so I can't hit on her." Daryl just rolled his eyes and kept trudging through the frost-dusted underbrush.

 

Carl dragged the red handled machete down his whetstone in slow, deliberate strokes. He had never been so bored. Faye and Daryl were out on a run, Beth was on perimeter check with Glenn and Maggie, Rick and T-Dog were building more structured barricades against the glass doors and windows displays, and Carol and Hershel were teaching each other what they knew about first aid. That left him alone with his mother, but she was too emotional to talk to now.  
She was changing her mind faster than the weather, sometimes being soft-spoken and willing to let others protect her and the baby, other times wanting to pick up a gun and learn how to fight by herself. Carl didn't mind either, just wished she would buckle down and pick one.

He was sharpening his blade alone near the center of the store, behind some extra clothes racks and out of sight to anyone not looking for him, when he heard muffled and worried voices. The first he recognized as his mother's, and the second was Carol's.

"But Folic Acid is so important in pregnancy and," Lori took a shuddering breath, "This baby is already at risk in this world, I don't want it to be born with some kind of defect because we don't have it." She sounded stressed beyond belief, which was already bad for the baby. But Carl was more interested in this acid she was talking about. His little sibling may not be born yet, but he was already fiercely protective of them, and if he could do something for them, he wouldn't hesitate.

Carol reassured her gently, "We can ask Rick to send someone out and find some. The baby will be okay, Lori."

They passed on before Carl could make out anymore, but it was enough for him to get an idea. If they needed something this urgently, they couldn't afford to wait for dad to decide to send someone. Everyone was busy now, except for him.

Without another moment's hesitation, he stood and sheathed his machete across the back of his belt and snuck around the clothes racks to the roof access, grabbing his backpack and gun on the way. He climbed quickly and quietly, careful not to be seen by anyone in the building. Luckily, everyone was too distracted with their own tasks to notice his absence, and he managed to slip through the hatch without notice.

On the roof, he avoided detection from the three doing patrol and slipped over the edge of the wall, down the ladder. His boots hit the ground, and he immediately started running for the strip mall less than a mile away.

 

Daryl held up a hand to stop the pair's advance towards the drug store, and they both fell silent to listen. Faye heard it too, after a moment of silence, a rustling in the brush, and heavy panting. They crouched in sync and tread softly towards the source, hoping for food but ready for any other threats. The noise revealed itself as a doe with her neck caught around a wire trap, bleeding on the snow the more she struggled, and from the looks of the red around her feet, she'd been there a while.  
"One of yours?" Daryl asked softly, not revealing himself quite yet. Faye shook her head next to him, "Mine are a little more humane, and I don't use razor wire." She explained, equally as soft.

They watched the animal struggle for a few more seconds, before Daryl raised his bow slowly and fired through it's neck. The beast collapsed, still, but was still breathing a bit. They remained where they were for a few more minutes to wait for any people that wanted to claim the animal first, but after five minutes, they agreed to step towards the meat with a nod.

Daryl pulled the wire from around its neck and tried to yank his arrow back, but the deer gave a surprise jerk in its dying moments, and managed to nail Daryl in between the legs with her back hoof. Faye jumped on top of the deer and finished the animal off, but the damage was done, and Daryl was on his knees holding the affected area. Faye tried to cough back laughter before she checked if he was okay, and had to let it out in fake coughs a little at a time at the situation.

"сахар? You okay?" She asked softly while she rubbed his back. He whined and shook his head quickly, but had to stop when he swayed with dizziness. "Okay, okay. I'll carry the deer and let's get back to the truck, da?" She tried to rush him along for fear of the people that set the trap coming back. If one of them was down, they were weaker than ever.

After she saw him nod, she moved back to the kill to pull his arrow out of it's throat, and strained to reload his bow. While he was slowing his breathing, she draped the strap over his shoulders so he was at least armed and ready to shoot. It took a couple tries, but she yanked the deer up and over her shoulders in a fireman's carry before grabbing Daryl's hand and acting as support to pull him to his feet. She kept his hand in her's to guide him along a faster route back to the truck.

It probably wasn't the best idea to let him walk after getting his balls crushed by a deer, but they hardly had any choice. The route Faye chose would be a little more confusing for any pursuers, especially on the rocky ledge they were on because they couldn't leave footprints. Unfortunately, she neglected to consider that the rocks would be iced over, and extremely precarious for a woman with a deer and an injured man. The ledge was a little wider than four feet, with a small pond over the edge about fifteen feet down, so it would have been safe, if not for the lone walker clumsily making it's way along the stones.

Faye gripped a jagged stone protruding from the cliff face to her right for support and drew her hatchet in her left. This would be tricky to do without dropping the deer, but for now she could trust Daryl to not topple over. Faye raised her hatchet at the Walker and with one strong hack, split it's skull. But the weapon remained stuck, and she didn't loosen her grip in time to keep her balance.

She was dragged over the edge by the weight of the deer, and slid easily over the slick stones with a cry cut short by the tumble. Daryl dove after her in instinct and caught her ankle, but didn't have sufficient traction to not be pulled with her. They both tumbled through the cold wind, and broke through the ice coating the surface of the pond with a _CRACK!_

 

Carl swung his blade with a grunt and killed the last walker in a group of three that had been in his way. He was damn proud of himself, too, because he was at the drug store and hadn't had to fire his gun once. He would admit to being a little cold, but not enough to admit defeat and go back without what he came for.  
The doors were locked, but they were glass sliding doors, so he was able to break the glass with a piece of rubble from a broken curb. Inside the store, he could hear distant groans, excited at the new sound of glass breaking. But it didn't sound like more than four or five heads, so he pressed on towards the vitamin aisle.

The store had already been raided, probably by other groups before winter came, so he had to be careful where he stepped so he didn't trip over fallen shelves or broken products. He found himself picking up and bottle of pills he could find, looking for anything that said 'prenatal' or 'Folic Acid'. At last, he found the mother load of prenatal vitamins, carelessly thrown to the ground by whoever was here before because who the hell was getting pregnant in the middle of the fucking apocalypse?

He grabbed three of the mason-sized jars and shoved them in his backpack to be sure that he got enough. He turned back towards the entrance, but found himself surrounded by walkers, most with their mouths duct taped shut, and only a few still groaning at him.

He cursed and turned to run, but the other end of the aisle was blocked by the dead as well. With nowhere else to go, he began climbing the shelf next to him, and perched on top. Now that he could see over the entire store, he realized that while the walkers only sounded like six or seven, there were more than a dozen currently clawing at him from the sales floor. Someone had duct taped their mouths shut so nobody could hear them coming, and would be trapped, like he was now.

 

The impact of the ice shocked Daryl into gasping in the freezing water, and regretting it an instant later when he had no air to inhale. The water was so cold it burned like a million hornet stings over every inch of their bodies. It was too dark for Daryl to see Faye, but he felt her pulling his arm towards the surface.  
He tried to kick and help her, but only felt his heart plummet when all he saw far above them was a solid sheet of ice. It was getting harder and harder to move his body, and felt like his blood was freezing. He was powerless against the force far stronger than him making him go limp and closing his eyes.

Faye had dropped the deer when they fell, but that was far from her mind when all she could focus on was kicking and pulling Daryl up to the surface with her. She was running out of air, and while she was used to freezing temperatures from her Russian heritage and time up North, she never had to drag a person up with her.

She managed to reach the ice above them and pounded at the jagged underbelly of the sheet until her palm and knuckles turned the water red with ribbons of blood. Her vision was darkening at the edges, and she knew Daryl wasn't any better off. Something caught her eye around his shoulder and her adrenaline rushed through her chilled blood as the idea formed.

She pushed herself down to Daryl and grabbed the loaded crossbow around his shoulders. His body was dragging them down, so she quickly twisted her body and fired at the surface. The arrow cracked the ice as it flew through through and landed who-cares-where, but it was enough.

Faye punched a fist through the fracture, and her hand sparked in pinpricks with the ice pellets raining above. She burst through the inch thick ice and took in a deep gulp of air before diving back under to yank Daryl's limp form from the depths. She was reminded of when she would go swimming in Russia, obeying the random challenges her childhood friends would initiate, but after every swim they had a fire to warm up by and hot beverages to ingest.

Daryl didn't come back to consciousness when his head broke the water, and his dead weight was still dragging them both back down. In an act of desperation to get to the pond's rocky shore, Faye drew her remaining hatchet and used it as a grapple to get to the shore, clawing at the ice that broke under the pressure until she could feel stones beneath her boots.

She was able to stand when they were waist deep and shifted Daryl so she could drag him the rest of the way to shore. She dropped him on his back and ignored the cold seeping into her bones in favor of pressing her ear to his chest. He was breathing faintly but there was probably water in his lungs. She shoved him on his side and shoved two fingers down his throat, so he would vomit it up on instinct.

She should have thought the action through, because his immediate reaction was to bite down on her fingers as hard as he could while he was couching up water. He released her quickly and started to cough on his hands and knees while the pond water poured from his nose and mouth. Faye hissed when she looked at the bite mark than would most definitely scar along with the smaller cuts from the ice over her palms, but was more concerned with the faint blue color on her fingertips. A glance at Daryl revealed the same. There was no time to catch their breath or even take a rest. Hypothermia would be setting in soon.

She pounded on his back and said through chattering teeth, "C-c-can you breathe...?" He nodded and wiped his mouth while he sucked down lungfuls of icy air. The storm was really picking up now, and the closest shelter and best bet at surviving this was still back at Academy. "Come on. Up...!" She demanded of him urgently and weakly pulled at his arm.

They slid to stand, but kept an arm around each other for support. "Wait." Daryl stumbled towards a grassy part of the shore, and grabbed something from the water. It was the damn deer.

"Seriously?!" Faye snapped with as much anger as possible. Daryl was struggling to heft the damp carcass over his shoulders, and didn't reply. Faye huffed in irritation but sided up to him and took half the weight so he wouldn't hurt himself any more.

When they had it up across both their shoulders, the walker that Faye had killed caught her eye. It had gotten caught on an overhanging branch, impaled through the abdomen with the ax still in its head. Faye tried not to think about how close that had been to being her.

They trudged back to the truck in shivering silence, tripping and growing stiff as their wet clothes froze. They tossed the game into the back of the vehicle with more effort than it should have taken, and Faye shoved Daryl towards the passenger seat. He went without protest. That's how she knew it was worse than he was letting her know. She was a shit driver.

 

The shelf Carl was balancing on jostled precariously, almost sending him into the sea of claws and gaping mouths below. He knew there was only one real way out of this now, and braced himself for the jump.  
He leaped over the swarm beneath him and landed on his hands and knees on the opposite shelf. The swarm turned their attention to the one he was on now, and rattled it menacingly. Only three more shelves to go until he could escape back through the broken doors.

He had never been filled with more terror than when he was flying over the gnashing jaws and sharp clawed hands of those below him. He was on his last jump when something snapped beneath the landing he was on, and it began to slowly cave under his weight.

He jumped as far and high as he could up to the last shelf, but only managed to get his torso to safety, and felt hands clawing at his boots and jeans. He desperately kicked them away and pulled himself the rest of the way up.

He had to take a moment to catch his breath and get a hold of himself before he could even think about jumping all the way down, but knew that he didn't have much time before the rest came around the other side and he would be trapped for good. So, with one last breath to steel himself, he jumped as far from the top as he could.

The few moments of airborne bliss were interrupted by his feet hitting the glass ridden concrete, and sent him rolling on his side with the momentum. He could look at the cuts and bruises later, however, because the swarm was coming, and coming fast.

He scrambled to his feet and bolted out the door, hearing the glass crunch under his pursuers feet. He only made it about fifty feet into the blizzard before blinding headlights screeched to a halt mere inches from hitting him, and he heard a familiar voice yell, "CARL?!"

He took the blessing and rushed to the passenger side to get in with Faye and Daryl as the herd began to surround the truck. He only just made it inside before hands began slamming against the windows. The heat was on full blast inside, and the adult's clothes and hair were coated in frost and ice.

"What happened to you two?!" Carl demanded. Faye shook her head and said between chatters, "No t-t-t-time! Carl, climb out...back window and p-p-push...deer out to d-d-d-distract!" She handed him a long knife while she spoke through blue lips.

Before he could exit, Daryl grabbed his wrist and asked in a weak voice he never though he'd hear from the hunter, "Who else...was w-with you...?" Carl shook his head, "Nobody! It's just me!" He kept climbing into the crisp frozen air, missing the look of outrage exchanged between Faye and Daryl.

He cautiously stepped down the center of the truck to avoid the arms reaching over the edge until he could kneel next to the deer and slice it's belly open. The dead grew excited at the smell and Carl kicked it towards the open back and let them pull it down to feast.

The walkers in front of the truck slimmed enough for Faye to hit the gas as they moved towards the other meal. Carl was halfway back through the window when she went, so he was safe from sliding back into the hoard. He wedged himself forward to sit in between Faye and Daryl in the front for the rest of the ride back.

Faye lasted all but four minutes of driving in silence, grinding her teeth in suppressed fury before she asked in a tone colder than the temperature outside, "Carl. T-tell me why you were alone, in a snowstorm, surrounded b-by walkers."

Carl picked at his nails and grumbled, "I was getting vitamins for mom."

Faye nodded, but her jaw was still tight, "And d-did she ask you to go find her some? Alone, in a snowstorm, surrounded by walkers?"

Carl shook his head slowly, "No..."

Faye suddenly slammed her stiff and bloody hands against the steering wheel, "THEN WHY THE HELL DID YOU THINK THAT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA?! ДАЖЕ НЕ ДАРИЛ, И Я ВЫХОДИТ В ОДНОМ, И ОДНА ИЗ США НАСТОЛЬКО СДЕЛАЛА ЭТО НАЗАД НА ЭТО ВРЕМЯ ! О ЧЕМ ВЫ ДУМАЛИ?! О БОЖЕ МОЙ, ЧТО ЕСЛИ ВЫ УМЕРЛИ ?! ВЫ ДУМАЛИ О ЧЕМ?!"

Carl shrunk back in his seat as she continued her rant, the unfamiliar language just spiking his sense of guilt. He knew Faye only spoke Russian when she was angry, scared, or relieved. And based off of what just happened, she was feeling all three.

Daryl nodded while she took a breath and focused back on the road. "Faye's right. What ya did was reckless and irresponsible. And look, I g-get that you jus' wanna help, but p-p-putting yourself at risk doesn't help anyone. Do ya understand?"

Carl nodded, avoiding eye contact. At least it looked like they were warming up a bit more the angrier they got. Daryl's rage was a low simmer, which was a silent reminder for Carl to behave and keep quiet or else he might get to a full boil like Faye.

He risked asking, "Am I in trouble?"

Daryl scoffed, "Guess."

"...No?"

"Guess again."

Suddenly, the truck lurched to a stop outside the store. "...We're here." Faye announced dully before she exit the warm comfort of the truck cabin to walk around and help Daryl.

Daryl sighed and shook his head, "I ain't ever seen her this angry," he mumbled. He left the car as well and leaned on Faye for support, Carl close behind scuffing his feet as he went.

 

Climbing up the ladder was a terrifying, but successful task. Beth almost screamed in terror when Faye's bloody hand shot up from over the edge and scrambled for purchase, but she muffled herself in time to realize who it was and called for help. Glenn and T-Dog carried Daryl between them to the entrance, and stayed with him on the ladder down. Rick caught Faye in a bridal carry as soon as she stepped off the ladder and almost fell to her knees because of the intensity of her shivering.  
Hershel ordered Carol and Maggie to change Faye's clothes and for T-Dog and Rick to start stripping Daryl down as well. Beth and Carl were told to start cranking up the generators for heat lamps while Glenn grabbed a kit for their cuts and scrapes. It only took about six minutes to sit them down in front of the lamps wrapped in blankets. Carol bustled to heat up some water for them to drink.

Only then did Lori ask, "Carl, why were you out with them?"

Faye bristled and snapped, "His d-dumb ass decided to g-go on a solo mission for F-Folic Acid and walked right into a trap!"

Rick crouched next to her, "A trap?" He asked softly. Lori was already on the poor child, snapping and lecturing the life out of him.

Daryl nodded and chattered, "We found a deer in razor wire. It was set by humans recently."

Faye sniffed loudly, "And the drug store your idiot son raided was full of walkers with their mouths taped shut so they can't be heard until they're on you." Carol handed both of them a thermos full of slightly steaming water. The two didn't notice at first, but they were leaning towards each other on instinct, seeking out warmth.

"That reminds me," the hunter pointed a shivering finger at Carl, "Ya owe us a d-deer." He took a mouthful of the hot water.

Rick rubbed at his chin with concern in his eyes. "I'm glad ya made it. You'll have to tell us what happened when you warm up." They mumbled an agreement and the sheriff stood to join the family lecture.

Beth continued to crank but asked incredulously, "You were only gone for like, an hour! What could have happened?"

Faye finished off her hot water and listed off her fingers, "Daryl fought a deer, I lost one of my tomahawks, we fell into a frozen pond, both of us almost drowned, got surrounded by a herd-"

"Alright, Darling, alright," Daryl cut her off and opened his blanket to envelop her. He squeezed her shoulders back against his chest and murmured, "later." Before falling backwards and taking her with him into a warm plush of blankets. Apparently he was quite the snuggler when the risk of hypothermia was the motivator.


	11. Face It

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOOHHHHHHMYYYYYGOOOOOODDDDDD I'M SO SORRY! I just caught my mistake in my calendar, and I marked the wrong day to post so this is a day late! Super sorry, but this is an extra long chapter, so hopefully that will make it up to you, babes. Posting will continue as if I posted this on time, but I am currently writing and then immediately posting, with hardly any time to edit or make sure the stories connects. I don't want to, but I may have to go on hiatus for two weeks with finals coming up. I will keep you updated, my babes!
> 
> (I do not own The Walking Dead.)

"Daaaryyl..."

A voice sang through his consciousness gently and pulled him from sleep. He just grumbled for five more minutes and squeezed the warmth in front of him closer, if that was even possible. The body against him wriggled downwards. Whatever, he thought, maybe she has early watch.

He rolled onto his back and threw a forearm over his eyes to block out the sunlight. He felt movement in the sheets around him and almost choked when he opened his eyes. Faye was straddling his knees, wearing just her black sports bra and black cargo pants, like when he first met her. But the look on her face was more full of sin than anything he'd ever seen. With hooded eyes and a small smirk on full lips, she had him hypnotized.

She was tugging at his belt and it was agitating the growing bulge in his pants. He groaned and tried to sit up, but she pushed him back to bounce against the sheets and crawled over him. She settled her hips across his and started to grind her core up and down the length of his cock. He couldn't decide if he wanted to lean up or shrink back. She leaned next to his ear and started to nip at his neck, all the while circling her hips.

"I want you to fuck my mouth."

Her moaned whisper had him pinned, and he was powerless against her hand wandering into his pants and pulling out his stiff cock. She stayed over him and murmured things like "want you to bend me over" and "fuck like animals" while she slowly stroked him up, and down. It had him rock hard in seconds, and wanting to pin her beneath him, but unable to move. It was the panic when he found he couldn't move that had him jolting awake.

He sat up quickly in the dim warehouse, the only source of light was the gray skies glowing through the high windows on all sides of the store. There was no bright sunlight, no bouncy mattress beneath him, and Faye was waking up next to him wearing double layers of full thermal gear, but the hardon he was suffering from was very real.

"Oh, good, you're up."

It was Carol who had been calling his name, and was standing over him with two protein bars. She handed one to him, and opened the other one to wave under Faye's nose. The woman laying with her ass pressed to his thighs slowly roused, and if she noticed how quickly Daryl scrambled from the sleeping bag, she didn't show it. While she ate the bar, Daryl shuffled away with a mumbled excuse.

Carol watched him leave and asked Faye, "What's going on with him?"

Faye talked with her mouth full, "He has a boner."

Carol snorted and left her to eat.

 

Daryl thanked whatever God was still listening when he found the men's bathroom empty. The building still had plumbing, but no hot water, so they could still use the toilets, showers, and sinks, but the water tasted too rusty to be healthy. He slammed the stall behind him now and braced his arm on the opposite wall before pulling his throbbing dick out.

He started with long, slow strokes and groaned breathlessly. He knew this was wrong, but since he started to get used to sleeping next to Faye two weeks ago (right after they almost died of hypothermia), he saw her in a new light. She was sexy without trying, but when she did oh Christ she knew how to do it. Even a playful wink in his direction had his heart pumping and face flushing.

He ran his thumb over the head for lubricant and sped up the pace, filling the stall with the muffled sound of slapping skin. The dream he had last night was a blessing and a curse at the same time, but he was starting to think of it as a well deserved release. The way she spoke was slow and smooth, the voice of a siren. He swore to himself that this was the last time he would ever think of her like this, but if he kept having dreams like that, he couldn't promise anything.

He squeezed his shaft and gasped small moans helplessly as he spurted stripes of white over the tile and floor. He had to remain against the wall for support for a while so he could catch his breath, and despite the cold, he felt a bead of sweat crawl down his face.

All at once, his guilt caught up with him. Faye wasn't meant to be jack off material; she was a fighter, a friend, and family. She would be disgusted at his actions, he knew. So, like a guilty child, he tucked himself back into his jeans and used a few squares of toilet paper to clean his mess up. He tossed the paper into the toilet and washed his hands quickly, composing himself to face her again while he did.

When he exit to bathroom, he saw Glenn and Faye right off reassembling shelves to act more as barricades. Faye was using a screw driver on one side, and didn't notice him exit, but Glenn shot him a smile in greeting.

Faye huffed and sat back on her heels, glaring at the metal in front of her. "Glenn, I need a good screw."

Glenn kept working and ticked his head at Daryl, "You heard the woman, Daryl. Get to it."

Faye finally looked up and saw his flustered face. The tips of his ears were pink and he probably looked like a deer in headlights. Faye just grinned up at him. "Nice try, Glenn. But no, we're not exactly together. We're just..." she glanced off like she was looking for the answer.

"Friends!" Daryl finished.

She shook her head and was looking at Daryl now for clarification, "More than friends?"

Daryl nodded, "But not together."

"Exactly!" She put down the screwdriver, "But we aren't planning on dating. I don't even think dating exists anymore!"

"Yeah, so we're...," Daryl snapped his fingers, "Partners!"

Faye gestured to him with both hands, "Yes! Partners! That's a good word."

Glenn had watched the whole thing bounce back and forth like a tennis match with a look of astonishment on his face. When they were done, a grin slowly grew on his lips. "You two are adorable."

Daryl rolled his eyes and reestablished his stone persona. "Shaddup." He grumbled and stalked away to find something to do. Faye mumbled, "Заткнись!" And went back to her job.

 

"Hey, Dad!" Carl caught himself, "I mean...Daryl."

Daryl slowly looked up from cleaning his bow. Did he just...? If Rick's snort was any indication he had heard it too. Carl looked away from the hunter nervously and went back to sharpening his blade with a mumbled, "Never mind."

Daryl cleared his throat, "Nah, it's okay. Jus'...weird. What'd ya need?"

Carl shook his head and kept his gaze on cleaning his gun. "I said no thanks. Never mind." He said in and irritated tone.

"Hey!" Rick snapped at his son and pointed, "Don't you disrespect your father like that!"

Daryl snorted and chuckled with his gaze back on the weapon in his lap. Carl looked mortified and looked into his real Dad's eyes. "I'm never living that down, am I?"

Rick scoffed and shook his head. "Not a chance."

The roof access hatch shrieked open and T-Dog called down urgently, voice echoing through the wide area, "Rick! We got vehicles coming in fast!"

Everyone was immediately on their feet, gathering weapons and the go packs they filled with water bottles and food. Daryl slung his own over his shoulder and stuck close to Rick, as they had agreed to do in this situation. Carl hugged his dad and said, "Be safe," before running towards the back exit where the cars were parked. They had practiced the drill many times, everyone but Rick, T-Dog, Daryl, and Glenn would stay to observe any outsiders, and possibly barter peace, while the women, children, and Hershel would get to the vans outside.

Faye grabbed his arm before he climbed the roof ladder to watch with the others. "Don't die." Granted, she could have been a little more heartfelt about the parting, but what else could she say that would be appropriate? He nodded once, "You too." And that was it. He started climbing while Faye rushed to grab her own go pack.

They were halfway up the ladder when the front doors and shelves exploded inwards in a burst of flame. Those mere feet from the exit rushed out quickly, and all but Faye and Carol made it out. Because the women were closer to the explosion, they caught a bit of the rubble but weren't badly hurt. The men on the ladder remained where they were and desperately tried to spot the women.

Glenn pointed at them when they rose from the rubble, covered in dust and grime, but a thumbs up from Carol reassured them. They ducked behind the registers as the intruders began their march on the store. At least eight split into pairs and began to search the aisles. Daryl looked to Faye nervously, and she swiped a hand to tell him to go. Rick tapped his boot beneath him, signifying his agreement. He stole one last look at them before moving up silently. He felt his chest pulling the further he got from her.

Faye sheathed one ax and drew her pistol in her right hand. "Okay, here's the plan," She whispered, "I'll become their main target if I attack, while you get to the exit. I'll keep hiding until I can either escape or you get help."

Carol shook her head, "No, I won't leave you!"

"Anyone there?" One of the men was yelling while his buddies slid through the aisles. "We ain't gonna hurt anyone! Jus' wanna get acquainted."

"Ron!" One of his friends called him over to the center, where they had been sleeping. He was grinning and waved two of the woman's bras above his head. Ron gave a yellow toothed grin back and kept talking.

"We found one o' yer axes! And an arrow!" He drew a familiar hatchet and bolt and held it above his head. He was getting a little closer to the women while he spoke, trying to lure them out.

"HEY GARY!" The same guy with their bras called, "They got cooze!" A few whoops and cheers went around the store.

Carol paled noticeably at the words, but Faye was just confused. What was 'cooze'? And what did it have to do with their bras?

Carol tugged Faye behind another registry, out of sight again. Ron and his friend were getting close.

 

"We gotta get back in there!" Daryl demanded of Rick as they pushed the others to hurry into the vehicles. They had climbed The escape ladder back over the side of the building after checking the front parking lot. There were five other men waiting by three vehicles, military jeeps.

The sheriff nodded, "Glenn, T-Dog, I want you both back on the roof with our rifles and scopes. We'll chirp you once on the talkies, that's when you start firing. Go for the tires on their vehicles, so they can't pursue." The men nodded and rushed for the guns in the back of the car. Rick turned to the rest of the group, "Maggie, Lori, and Hershel, be ready to drive the kids out. As soon as we take down the guys in front, Glenn and T-Dog go into the building through the roof and provide backup. We'll all meet back at the cars out front once we get 'em. Got it?"

A few collective nods and rushed obedience to the orders showed that they did. At last, Rick turned to Daryl. "And we're gonna loop around in the woods to start with the guys out front. Just knocking them out at first, but don't let anyone get the upper hand." Daryl nodded and followed him into the brush.

"Ain't nobody getting left behind, this time." Daryl said.

 

Carol waved Faye under a shelf to hide while the sound of heavy boot falls slowly prowled through the aisles. They had to lay flat on their stomachs and barely fit, but they were out of sight. The aisles they were hiding in had water bottles on one side and pepper spray on the other, which gave Carol a possible idea for later. But for now, they had to keep quiet, and try to silent their breathing while the shadows of the intruders passed over their hiding spots.

"Can't believe we lost 'em." One of them was grumbling, "Worse than that time we found that kid and she got bit in front of us."

The other agreed, "Waste of pussy, man. She coulda been fun." They heard a lighter click and a deep inhale through a cigarette. "Probably wasn't too smart, anyway, if she just got bit on the neck like that. Cute little blonde though."

Carol tensed next to her, and the other man scoffed, "You're obsessed with blonde kids, man." The other chuckled, and they moved on down the aisle.

Carol pushed against Faye's side, telling her to scoot out and move. She glanced up and down the aisle to check for safe passage before army crawling from under the dusty shelter. She turned and pulled Carol out as well. The woman looked shell-shocked and disgusted, like she was suspicious of something big but didn't want to believe it.

"Faye...I think those men were talking about Sophia."

Faye stared at the woman in shock, but the question forming on her lips was interrupted by gunfire from outside. It sounded like their group was coming for them. Most of the men inside responded by running out of the store, but one called back, "You all stay! If this goes sideways we need you to get back and report!" A few mumbled agreements followed.

Faye yanked Carol out of sight of two different men rushing to find shelter, and took a moment to mull over the thoughts in her head, but she came to the same conclusion every time. "Carol, we can't make sure. They have guns, numbers, and muscle on us! We have a few knives, a handgun, and," she glanced around, "water bottles!"

Carol nodded, "It might be enough, though. If we can surprise them. Please, Faye, I have to know." She had to relent at the eyes she was giving her.

She sighed and surrendered softly, "Fine. But you take the gun." She handed it over and grumbled while they moved back towards where they heard the men talking about Sofia. "I can't believe I just gave in to letting you kill some people like you were a kid asking if we could keep a puppy..."

Carol shook her head, "This is more than that, and you know it. I have to know what happened to her, Faye. Wouldn't you?"

The glance she shot to Faye's abdomen clarified her implication. Faye bit her lip and nodded. God, her brain chemistry was probably still fucked up from suddenly being not pregnant if she was agreeing to this. She ticked her head to the woman, "What do we do?"

Carol glanced at the shelves surrounding them, "I want to try something."

 

Rick leaned back from the last man's punch, and Daryl knocked him out with the but of his crossbow. "Was that the last of 'em?" Rick asked.

Daryl nodded and glanced around at the men they had taken down while avoiding killing them. "Yeah, but there're still some in the building." He was already walking towards the structure.

"Wait!" He grabbed Daryl's shoulder, "Wait for Glenn and T to head down into the store. If we're going in, we need backup."

Daryl did as he said but was anxious out of his skin. If Faye and Carol were in there, they were in trouble, and he couldn't help but think of every worst case scenario possible. Fuck, did he care about them? Enough to die? He answered his own question by marching towards the blown entrance, a determined look twisting his features. "We got backup," He told the following sheriff over his shoulder, "Faye and Carol are in there."

He had barely started to pick his way over the glass and rubble before he was cut off by three men, each with a gun aimed at him and Rick. The shelves they used to barricade the front were blown apart, and were now just a gruesome twist of metal that trapped them from running. One of them looked to be no older than 20, and shifted nervously to the side, but the other two were threatening enough.

Rick tried to barter peace by stepping around Daryl's raised crossbow, but kept his python raised. "We're leaving. We just want the people still inside. You can have the rest, just let us get them."

The largest chuckled. Daryl's eye caught one of Faye's bras hung on his belt loop like some kind of prize. Thus caused him to simmer in anger at the obvious flaunt at their intentions when they came looking for them. "This place is ruined, man." He spoke in a tense tone, but had laughter layered beneath it. "Doesn't seem like much of a trade."

Daryl huffed, "Who's fault is that?"

Rick glanced towards the back of the store and saw Glenn and T-Dog quietly making their way down the ladder. He just had to keep them distracted for a few more moments. After they got out, they would have to book it from the herd undoubtedly converging on the noise.

They were still trying to negotiate something more for them.

"We found your arrow, Robin Hood." The third man with a beard and a sneer that could curdle dairy waved the bolt leisurely. "We got an ax too. That your boyfriend's?" He pointed with the arrow between Daryl and Rick.

Daryl tensed at the insinuation, but Rick, ever the peace maker, spoke before he could act. "We just want our people back. This doesn't have to end in violence."

"M-Maybe we should just-" The youngest man tried to speak out, but the one with the bra snapped, "Shut up, Randall!"

Glenn and T-Dog managed to get them surrounded. Rick was just starting to look victorious when a gunshot rang out, then two more louder ones in rapid succession. The worst part was the broken female scream that was suddenly cut off. They could barely make out Carol's name being screamed over the fray, and then the sound of fighting and metal clashing echoed from the back of the store.

The bearded one of the group grinned like a kid on Christmas, and Rick turned to him in horror as he said, "Sounds like it already has, man."

Daryl shot him in the chest without hesitation and told T and Glenn to "watch 'em," before rushing into the store with his side gun drawn. Rick cast a look containing no pity onto the dying man choking on his own blood before rushing after the hunter.

 

(Minutes Before)

This was a terrible idea, Faye thought when she saw the look in Carol's eyes. They were on top of two shelves, laying on their stomachs looking down at the same two men that spoke about Sofia. They were dead quiet now, stalking through the aisles like soldiers, looking for threats. They never thought to look up, though.

Carol gave a slight nod to Faye, signaling her to start her plan. Faye gripped the edge of the metal and started to slowly climb down the shelves, staying as quiet as possible. Once she landed on the concrete floor, she padded towards the men while their backs were turned.

The shorter one grunted when Faye wrapped her arm around his forehead and pulled his neck aside to expose his jugular to the blade of her ax. The other man turned and aimed at her with a vicious glint in his eyes.

"Relax." She commanded lowly, "We just have a few questions about the little girl you found in the woods a few months ago."

The man in her grip sputtered, "We?" She tightened her grip on his head, pulling his neck back further. The new angle allowed him to see Carol up above, aiming down at them with Faye's handgun. He gulped against the hatchet blade.

"What was she wearing?" Faye jumped right into questioning.

"Fuck, bitch. I don't remember!" The man aiming at her snapped, "It was like six months ago!"

Carol audibly clicked the gun's hammer back. "Try."

"Blue shirt! Had a rainbow on it!" The guy Faye was holding hostage stuttered out in a high voice.

It was silent for a moment, then Carol said softly, "What did you do to her?" Her voice was hard as steel.

"Ain't done nothing!" The one in front of Faye was looking up at Carol now. "She got bit!"

"She was running from you because you wanted to rape her!" Faye snapped. "Correct me if I'm wrong," she tightened her grip on the man's head, digging her nails into his forehead, "But you have a thing for blondes, don't you?"

He whimpered, the other grit his teeth and answered. "She was taken down before we could get to her."

"Faye," Carol spoke sternly, "Duck."

Faye barely managed to drop in a squat before her hostage's head snapped left, brains splattering across the concrete and Faye's shins. The last enemy in front of Faye cried out for his fallen friend, but his face twisted into anger soon enough. She scrambled back on her butt from the corpse, boots sliding in the blood. Her hatchet fell from her hand and skid across the floor, out of reach.

He fired his shotgun up at Carol before she could aim at him properly, and she stumbled backwards and fell over the other side with a scream that was cut short. "CAROL!" Faye screamed in a panic for her friend. But she didn't have time to dwell. Her own survival was at stake now.

He was trying to reload his gun to take her down, but Faye couldn't let him finish so he could get to her. She drew her last hatchet from her right hip and flung it as hard as she could at him. It lodged into his shoulder and made him drop his gun with a screech, but he didn't even have time to wrench the blade from his skin before Faye tackled him around his middle, throwing him onto his back.

He went for the shaggy hair on her head to try and pull her back and off, but Faye grabbed his thumb and pulled back swiftly. The loud click was heard and felt by both, and he was howling in pain and loosening his grip, thumb now broken and useless. Faye sat back and lunged for the gun, but he pounded his fist down between her shoulders in a hammer strike, grunting in pain when the ax fell from the wound at the force. Faye gasped at the blow while the wind flew from her chest and small pinpricks of pain from her old shotgun wound acted up beneath the skin. She bit the side of her tongue when her chin hit the concrete, and her mouth was coated with the taste of copper. He grabbed the hatchet that just fell from his arm and brought it down in a hack at her leg, but because of his broken thumb and other injured shoulder, he barely sliced a gash straight through the soft skin of her inner left thigh.

She screamed at the sharp pain and tried to staunch the heavy bleeding through her leggings, but faster than she could react, he shoved her shoulder over so she was laying on her back with his knees bracketing her hips and yanked a long serrated blade from his belt. She couldn't do much but try to hold the weapon at bay with her forearms crossed, but she found a way. While he was so focused on keeping the blade moving towards her throat, she gathered as much spit and blood in her mouth as possible until her cheeks were slightly full and her arms were screaming at the strain.

She spit at his face as hard as she could, spraying his eyes and disorienting him with the disgusting combination of fluids. He jerked back on instinct, and Faye got the knife from him with a sharp yank. She drew it above her head and plunged it into the top of his stomach with both hands. He choked and looked down at the blade, shocked and afraid. They stayed still for a few seconds, Faye's hands still on the knife and him still on top of her, both breathing heavily. Dark red blood flowed from around the knife and onto the both of them. They made eye contact before one final gunshot rang out, and his head whipped forward and pushed his body weight onto the woman.

"FAYE!" Carol lowered the gun when her shot hit the back of his head and she was sure he was dead. She slid on her knees next to the scene and helped the Russian shove the body off of her, leaving behind a gruesome sight. Faye was totally covered in blood from the waist, up, and was coughing around some fresh blood in her mouth.

Carol pulled her into a somewhat sitting position, supporting her shaking shoulders, and just got her situated when the men rounded the corner to see the terrifying scene. Daryl was still for only one breath before he dropped his bow with a loud clatter and was sprinting up the aisle towards her. She was dying, he was sure of it, and he had to save her. He was ready to carve his own heart out of his chest if it would help.

Rick was a little bit more collected and met Daryl at her side while Carol frantically tried to wipe the blood from her face with the end of her shirt. Faye was sputtering and trying to wave her off, but she was still coughing and breathing heavily. "What happened?" The sheriff demanded.

Carol shook her head, "I-I killed the other one from on top of the shelves but he started shooting at me and I fell onto the mats on the other side. Faye had to take him on alone so I just got here and saw him on top of her. Oh, God...Faye, can you see me?" She picked up her head a little and wiped some more blood from her eyes.

"Faye, come on." Daryl pushed her bangs away from her face and turned her head to look at him. "You can open your eyes, yer okay. Yeah?" At last, she opened her eyes and blinked up at him. He exhaled in relief and pushed her shirt and jacket up past her bra, looking for the wound that caused so much blood.

"'ts not mah blud." She slurred, tongue feeling swollen. "Jus' da leg." Daryl still looked over her torso, running a flat palm over her abdomen to try and find any anomalies. She rolled her eyes and huffed but didn't stop him. She probably didn't have the energy to, anyway.

"We should go." Rick ordered and stood. "We'll have to check her over in the vehicles, but walkers will have heard that explosion." Daryl nodded and put an arm under her shoulders to help her sit up, then stand. She did so with a wince, and her resilience at staying quiet after such a close call wrenched at his chest.

Carol was waiting to help as well, but Rick ticked his chin forward, "Carol, I want you up here with me. How many do you have left?" While she checked her magazine, Rick retrieved Daryl's crossbow and Faye's hatchets. Daryl nodded when he handed them both to him, and he slung his weapon onto his back and leaned around Faye to sheathe her own weapons.

"Seventeen." Carol answered and snapped the magazine back in place. "They should pull the cars around now so we can all get in quickly." Rick nodded and made the call into his radio while they moved out.

Daryl was going so fast that Faye gave up trying to limp next to him and just resigned to letting him drag her. He barely noticed her feet dragging over the rubble and broken glass, mind set solely on getting his family out of danger. She said it was just her leg, but she was also spitting up blood. He couldn't look her over until they were safe, and he was going to make sure that she was.

When they rounded back around to the front entrance, Rick kept his gun up at the last two men, even when his own men stared at the apparent corpse Daryl was carrying. "Glenn, T, we're leaving." They snapped their gazes from Faye's bloody form and kept steady hands and steady aim at the last two while they circled them quickly and only turned their backs when Rick could take a moment to aim.

Walkers were already clawing out of the woods and through the parking lot towards the store. There had to be at least fifty within range already, and the numbers were only growing. Carol looked around frantically for the cars, and heard tires skid over concrete before their truck, minivan, and larger passenger van rounded the corner quickly. Daryl's bike was strapped to the back of the truck already.

Inside the minivan, Lori pulled Carl away from the windows so he wouldn't see what she believed to be Faye's body. She was paling quickly and shivering in the cold and searing pain in her leg. Carl had seen, though, and swallowed down a lump in his throat. In the truck, Beth yelled and anguished, "NO!" at the sight. Hershel was quick to shush her and pull her to him.

"Get in!" Rick aimed at the herd. "Hurry! GO!" He continued to fire with Carol at the approaching walkers while they scrambled into the vehicles. A young man's scream got the dead roused, and Daryl glanced behind him to see the kid from before, Randall, if he remembered, collapse beneath a walker's jaws on the back of his neck. He felt sorry for him, having died so young, but was more worried about those he could keep alive right now.

Rick took Lori's place driving the minivan, and turned in his seat to wait for Maggie's okay from the passenger van. Glenn helped Daryl pull Faye up and he slammed the doors shut when he saw T-Dog get into the truck with Beth and Hershel. Maggie shot Rick a thumbs up and he floored it back towards the back roads.

"Faye, where are you bleeding from?" Daryl spoke loudly while he peeled the sticky shirt from her torso. "Ya gotta tell me so we can help." He kept looking over her back and shoulders for anything that would cause a wound like that. Glenn wet a cloth and started to wipe down whatever skin he could reach, while also trying to push her shoulders back down.

"What happened?!" Maggie called from the front seat.

Faye smacked Glenn's arms off and started to pull herself up into a sitting position. "No, Faye, lay down." He spoke sternly. Daryl tried to push her back, and she glared at him before grabbing the cloth from Glenn and spitting a fair amount of blood and spit into it.

"I'm fine." She sounded like she had cotton in her mouth. "It's jus' my leg and mah tongue that's bleeding. The rest is from the other guy." She groaned as she shifted to rest her back against Maggie's seat. Daryl supported her lower back with a steady palm. "I think he broke by back with that hammer strike, though."

Glenn and Maggie sighed and slumped a little in relief. Daryl seemed to deflate a bit and leaned forward to rest his head on her collarbone. "God, Tinker Bell. Don' ever do that again." Glenn pretended to occupy himself with sorting through the bags they had managed to throw in the back, but gave up quickly and just climbed into the passenger seat.

Faye wiped her hand on the upholstery before she stroked the back of his neck. "Shhh, сахар. We're all okay. We'll be just fine." She soothed, then teased, "Might as well face it now, I'll be around to bug you for a lot longer."

He grabbed the hand on the back of his head and brought it down to her lap, where he held it tight and ran his thumb over her knuckles. "Stop jumping in front of guns." He growled lowly.

"Stop running towards gunfire." She shot back.

"Stop trying to do everything yourself."

"Stop only going on the dangerous runs."

"Stop getting hurt every three weeks."

"Stop talking."

"Make me."

Faye chuckled, then winced at the pain in her back. "Okay, how about we compromise. You can keep talking, if you stitch up my leg."

At that, Daryl's head snapped up from her chest and he turned a glare at her thigh, frustrated at her being hurt and the wound interrupting their moment of connection. His gaze softened when he saw that it was still bleeding through her dark leggings, and he flipped like a switch into nurse mode. He thought with traces of a smirk that he'd been having to act as caretaker a lot more with Faye around. But she was always his nurse of choice, so it evened out.

"Alright. Get your pants off. I don't wanna rip 'em." He ordered her while he shuffled towards their first aid bag.

"Whoa whoa, WHAT?!" Glenn whipped around in his seat with wide eyes, but quickly turned away blushing when he saw Faye pulling her pants down, over a pair of blue boy-short underwear. "What are you doing?! Not here!"

"She needs stitches, ya perv!" Daryl snapped back at him. "And I could use a hand, if yer done making assumptions!"

Maggie smiled a bit, the little moment of humor distracting her from the fact that they had just lost what had been their home for the past three months.

Glenn blushed and nodded. While he was climbing back, Daryl got antibiotics set up and kept trying to thread a needle while on the road. The task proved difficult, but he eventually got it after Glenn laid out a towel beneath the gash. Daryl smirked, "Cute panties."

Faye scoffed and rolled her eyes, but he knew she wasn't seriously irritated because she was smirking a bit. "I know. Now come on, before I bleed out." She bent her uninjured leg up.

Daryl's mind went into static when he realized what he would have to do. He would have to get very close to the panties he was teasing her for a moment ago to do a proper job. But there was no time to wait until the trip was over, and she couldn't do it herself. Eventually, he took a short breath and leaned down on his knees. He thought of the Unspeakable Act he'd committed just that morning, and knew this wouldn't do him any favors in that regard.

Faye was clenching her sore jaw at the pain of the needle going through her skin, and knew that Daryl was going as fast and gently as he could, but God damn it still hurt like a bitch. "Keep it steady, babe!" Glenn called to the front.

"Bump!" Maggie yelled back. Daryl quickly pressed his hand over the halfway stitched wound and kept the rest of the thread loose so it wouldn't pull. While they went over the rougher road, he stared at Faye's face. Her eyes here clenched shut, and her jaw was tight. Her hands were bunched in the fabric of Maggie's seat above her head, where her chin length hair stuck with the static. She was a fighter, nothing like the delicate fairy she was named for, but just as magical. Daryl blinked at the confusing thought, and he shook his head of it. Damn, Dixon, He thought, you callin' girls magical now? Why not just dye your vest pink and start weaving flower crowns?

When the road evened out again, and Glenn gave the all clear for a bit more time to stitch, he bent back down and kept working. He wasn't sure when or how she did it, but Faye had wormed her way into his mind in a way that nobody ever had before.


	12. Possible

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M BACK, BABES! And I have many many more chapters written, so we can get back on schedule! I promised myself I wouldn't cry, and yet...
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> (I do NOT own TWD)

Lori was ready to pop and Faye was fully recovered in the next seven weeks. The cold winds and huddled nights made way for a warmer breeze and sunnier skies, greatly reducing the amount of clothing supplies they had to find. The only problem was that they were still hungry and aimless. The best they could do was jump from shelter to shelter and hope to last the night.

It fucking sucked, Faye thought as she unleashed a bit of her frustration in a hard throw of one of her axes. The blade embed itself in the dead man's head and split it like a wedge, splattering gore over the driveway of the house they were trying to get to. Daryl shot a bolt from just behind her at one of the last two, felling it. Faye walked towards the last one swiftly, like she wasn't in a rush but just had to get to it.

She stooped without stopping and yanked the other hatchet from the dead one's head roughly, only to slam it into the last one's face with a grunt. The woman fell hard, having received the brunt of Faye's rage. She immediately stooped to rummage roughly through her purse, pulling out the wallet and cellphone and finding a travel pack of tissues and a granola bar.

Daryl raised an eyebrow at the display of anger from the small woman. He had noticed that she was getting more and more fatigued lately, with things that she wouldn't have even broken a sweat with before. That and her constant sneezing was starting to worry him.

Faye was miserable. She was sniffling all the time, she couldn't sleep because her sinuses kept closing up when she laid in one position for too long, and every time she sneezed she risked bringing walkers towards them. Glenn had already had to pinch her nose on a run to stop them from being discovered. Point was, she was fucking sick of it. Her allergies had never been this bad before, but with the weather changing and the new environment she must have caught a case of the sniffles. At least it wasn't contagious.

Rick and Carl slipped out of the truck silently and followed Faye and Daryl up to the porch. As Carl passed, Faye shot him a quick smile interrupted by a sharp but quiet sneeze. He snickered a bit and she grumbled something profane in Russian while she drew her hatchets. It was already late in the day, so they'd have to make this quick.

Faye and Daryl partnered up to clear the second story, and only encountered three walkers, all disposed of quickly. They heard Rick give his all clear from downstairs, and he opened the front door to wave the rest of the group inside. They exit the cars quickly when the threat of the walkers was eliminated for the moment, carrying their own backpacks and a few blankets for the night. They were out of food, so they just had to hope this house still had something. T-Dog and Glenn dragged the dead corpses to the doors to hopefully deter other walkers while the rest set up camp in the living room.

Once everyone was settled on the furniture in the living room, Faye yanked one of the tissues from the package and blew her nose loudly, earning a harsh shushing from Lori. Faye rolled her eyes and tossed her the granola bar she found. The woman blinked before nodding her thanks and opening the packaging. She broke it in half and handed the piece to Carl.

Carol came out of the kitchen with a few bottles of water and two bags of beef jerky, earning a few grins from the hungry group. They started to pass the first bag around, everyone taking a little so everyone else could have some. Daryl accepted a water bottle from Carol and took a swig before handing it off the Faye, who took a few gulps before screwing the cap back on and setting it down.

"Glenn, you and I take first watch." Rick said quietly. Glenn nodded and kissed Maggie's cheek before standing and following him to the second floor. Faye used the last tissue and threw it into the wastebasket next to the office area while she waited for everyone else to lay down and rest. She sat back against the couch and tilted her head back to hopefully drain her nose a little so she could breathe better. Daryl propped his feet up on her lap and rest his head on one of the throw pillows.

The quiet was only interrupted by the occasional cough from Faye, but after a few minutes everyone was asleep. The group reveled in these moments when they could just lay down together and take a breath. More than once, they had had to stay in the cramped cars, and often woke up to walkers biting at the glass. It was always terrifying, and as a result they didn't sleep much. It was nice to be relatively safe and out of the chilly night air.

When it was time for Daryl's watch, he lifted his feet off of Faye's thighs and swung his legs back over the edge. This made her stir a bit and she blinked her eyes open slowly to watch him get ready for watch. He caught her looking and grumbled, "Stop staring."

She just smiled and said in a stuffed up whisper, "Sorry, it's not every day I get to see an angel." Her accent was disappearing with each passing day, and while she boasted on her English fluency, Daryl missed her weird pronunciations. She still pronounced his name like 'Dare-ill', like it was two separate syllables, so he held on to that.

He rolled his eyes in response, and Glenn chuckled from where he was getting settled in his sleeping bag. "Shaddup. Go back to sleep."

She looked like she was about to retort, but then her nose started to scrunch up in a sure sign of a sneeze. He smirked a little, thinking this meant he won, but his face quickly turned to shock when the soft sneeze resulted in a double nosebleed. Her nose must have been so dry from the cold and constant blowing that this one little fluke was enough to make it bleed.

"Shit, Faye!" He pulled the bandanna from his back pocket and pressed it over her nose. With his other hand he held the back of her head and tilted back. "Is it really not possible for you to go a full day without bleedin' in some way or another?!" He felt her smile beneath the fabric and she raised both hands in a shrug.

Glenn and Rick got up again to assess the damage done. Daryl pulled the cloth back again but had to press it back again when it was still dripping. Rick sighed irritably and whispered, "Daryl, take her into one of the back rooms and make sure she doesn't snort any of that blood into her stomach. Carol can take your shift with T."

Daryl shook his head, "Nah, we can just both go take watch now."

"No, you'll need all your focus. I won't put you out if you're going to get distracted." He insisted.

Glenn spoke up, "And maybe seeing Bloody Mary at the ass crack of dawn isn't exactly the best thing for morale." He looked down at her accusingly. She grumbled behind the gag.

"What?" Daryl lifted the cloth off of her mouth. It kept bleeding, but was lightening up.

"I said, we have to see your face every morning and there's nothing much scarier then that, so-" Glenn cut her off with a thump on the back of the head.

Daryl rolled his eyes, "Alright. Come on, Tinker Bell." He kept the cloth over her nose and pulled her to get up, "Looks like you're gettin' VIP treatment tonight."

"Ohh, are you going to be my maid? You should really get in uniform."

He covered her mouth with the cloth again.

They made their way into the master bedroom, closest to the living room if any help was needed. Faye took the cloth from him and held it herself while he double checked the closet and bathroom. When he was done, she shucked off her jacket and tossed it on the foot of the bed. She followed a moment after and sat cross-legged.

"Sorry," She said nasally, "I don't want to stain your rag."

He scoffed while he started to throw blankets off the bed and onto the floor. "It's red. Ya won't stain anything."

"What are you doing?" She asked, gesturing to the nest he was making on the floor.

"Makin' a bed, what's it look like?"

"Like you hate having any comfort in your life."

He glanced up at her but kept making it. "Well you ain't sleeping on the floor. I won't let you."

"Daryl." She didn't continue until he looked up at her. When he did she spread her arms wide. "It's a king bed. We'll fit." She pat the area beside her. "Come come. We haven't had the chance to sleep on a real bed since the Turn."

He hesitated, glancing back and forth between Faye and the blankets. She rolled her eyes and pulled away the cloth. "I won't make you, but you're welcome to sleep on that side." She pointed before laying back against the pillows and closing her eyes.

Did she really not feel it? The tension and desire for the kind of intimacy he craved so badly? She was the only one he'd ever wanted in that way, and sure, the feelings were foreign, but he thought he knew how to define them or what to do about them. But seeing her there, laid out, relaxed with him in the room, and even welcoming him closer...this had never happened. Whenever he felt lonely before, he'd hook up with some chick at a bar just to sate those emotions and get off. But, even though he hadn't had sex since the outbreak, he only really wanted to be that vulnerable with Faye. He even craved it. He craved her respect, affection, lust, and attention.

He wanted her so badly, but could never muster up the courage to ask her for any more than she freely gave him. Things like this aren't a priority when all you have time for is staying alive. But, at the same time, she wanted him there. She just said so. If that wasn't a sign of permission to indulge he didn't know what was.

He tossed the pillow he laid out back onto the bed, but went back for the blanket and spread over Faye's legs. Her lips twitched up for a brief second. He climbed onto the bed carefully, like he was trying not to make the mattress move and jostle her. When he finally was laying back against the pillows, he folded his hands over his stomach and stared at the ceiling. Now, his heart was racing so much he couldn't sleep. Dammit.

Faye sighed internally. She knew what was going on with him. She had seen the signs of abuse in the way he acted; never able to hold eye contact, keeping everything internalized, avoiding anything that could get him in trouble. She would never bring it up, God no, but she also recognized that he needed to be in control of the pace of their relationship. Whatever the hell that was, at the moment. If she just kissed him out of nowhere, his head might explode.

So instead of jumping him, she rolled to lay on her side and cushioned her head with her arm. She saw him gulp and he swiped a glance over at her, but looked back up at the ceiling.

"How do you think we would have met, before all this?"

Her voice was gentle, and not demanding at all. He had a feeling that if he pretended to be asleep, she would just shrug and roll over to sleep herself. But fuck it.

"I would'a never left Georgia. We'd never meet." He had actually thought about that question.

Faye hummed, "Well, say I got to South Carolina and decided to keep going South. How do you think?"

He bit his lip a little while he thought. "Well if you walked, I might've shot you by accident while I was huntin'. That, or Merle woulda chased you off."

She chuckled a little, "You're probably right. So what if I drove into town? How would that happen?"

He snorted, "Only place I ever went to find pretty girls was bars. Just for sex, too."

Faye smiled at the compliment and nodded, like she was considering. "I would have seduced you."

Daryl turned his head to look at her face so quickly his neck popped. She slowly grinned at his shocked expression, making the dried blood on her upper lip crack, "And then I would have stolen your wallet."

He scoffed and turned his body to face her as well. "You'd've been disappointed. Most I ever had on me was forty bucks."

She shook her head, "I don't see how I could ever be disappointed in you."

He blinked, but she was already explaining.

"You seem nice. Remember when I told you that?" He nodded. "Well now I know for sure. You made a family here Daryl. And I'm proud that we're partners." She finished with a smile that lit up her eyes, even in the dim moonlight.

He wanted to lean in and kiss her. He wanted to cry because no one had ever said they were proud to know him. He wanted to laugh because that was so corny. He wanted to get angry because the family he had now left his only other relative chained to a roof. But instead he closed his eyes and mumbled, "You're not so bad yourself, Tinker Bell."

She snorted and closed her eyes as well to sleep.

 

The next morning, Daryl woke up warm. He groaned and tried to roll over but found himself pinned by a weight on his stomach. He blinked his eyes against the bright morning light and looked down his chest to see Faye resting her head on his lower abdomen. The light reflected a streak of rainbow over her closed eyes, reminding Daryl of Sophia's adamant insistence that she was a real Fairy that helped kids get better.

Her hair was getting long, enough so she had to brush it back and secured it with her blue bandanna. Her face was mostly pressed into his shirt, and her warm breath systematically heated up then cooled down his bellybutton. Her left hand was curled in a fist on his shirt, and he noticed the scars across her hands and arms. Little white spiderweb lines from rough jobs over the years and bigger, more obvious ones in blobs and long gashes from fights and attacks. Her knuckles were shiny with new skin, and the large oval of pink scar tissue just under her thumb told of her escape from Rick's cuffs.

He glanced back up at her face to make sure she was still sleeping, and raised his other hand gently. He stroked over the scar with his thumb, and when she didn't stir, he covered her hand with his own. He could hear the rest of the group up and moving around, and thanked his lucky stars that they didn't wake he or Faye up. He knew that she moved closer to warmth in her sleep, so they must have slept straight through the night.

God, he was such a creep.

He was just stroking her hand and staring at her while she slept. Like a creep. She crinkled her nose and woke up with a loud sneeze, turning the brunt of it into his shirt. Luckily she didn't snot all over him.

She blinked watery eyes back up at his, then glanced at their hands. He startled and tried to pull back, mumbling "sorry", but she flipped her hand over and grabbed it back before he could get far. He stared at their hands for a moment, then looked back up at her face.

She was smiling, a real genuine smile that made his face heat up. Was this it? Was she going to say she wanted more? Would he have to?

"доброе утро," she croaked, coughed, and said with an embarrassed smile, "Good morning, caxap."

Her tired voice put him at ease, and he returned the smile. "доброе утро? That means good morning?"

She nodded, rubbing against his stomach. "Is it time for watch?" She sat up and rubbed at her head.

He tried not to be disappointed that she didn't say anything about their relationship, whatever it was. But she was still holding his hand and smiling a little, so he counted this as a win. "Nah, we slept all night." He sat up.

Faye's eyes widened, "Really?! Wow..." she kept her other hand on top of her head and stared through the window. Daryl admired her profile and fluffy bedhead. The light brown locks were a few inches from her shoulders now.

"It's gettin' long." He nodded at her mane.

She smirked playfully, "So is yours. I like it. It's almost long enough for me to braid."

He narrowed his eyes at her, "Ya wouldn't dare."

She squeezed his hand before letting it go and sliding off the other side of the bed. "Keep testing me and I might." She snarked before leaving the room.

He flexed his hand a couple times as it cooled without her warmth. His lips slid into a smile for a moment before he swung his legs over the edge and followed her.

 

That was the last time anyone had really smiled for the sake of smiling in the group. Sure there were a few reassuring grins that didn't match their eyes, but it was as if everyone had lost hope. They were bouncing between houses almost twice a day now, and paranoia was taking its grip on everyone. Carol almost never slept anymore for fear of the rest of the men she'd killed coming after them. Carl's childlike innocence was almost totally gone, and he killed walkers mercilessly now. Beth was withdrawn, Maggie was hard and cold, and Hershel always had this defeated look on his face.

They were all especially worried about Rick. He was taking too much responsibility for the group, thinking he had to do everything himself. They were starving, that much was obvious, and Rick ever so eloquently chucked a cat of dog food Carl was trying to open against a wall. Daryl flinched at the noise, but no one else was really surprised. It was fucking frustrating.

Faye chirped a whistle from upstairs, signaling that they needed to leave already. Nobody even had the energy to protest because this wasn't the first time they had to run immediately after settling. Rick and Daryl waited for Faye to rush down and join them before following the others back to the cars.

Faye waited for Daryl to jump on his bike before sliding on behind him and latching her arms around his chest tightly. He revved it and jolted forward, following after the vehicles in front of them. A walker made a lunge for them from the side but Faye whipped her leg up and kicked it's jaw back. They made it away unscathed.

 

They stopped in the middle of the woods a few hours after driving. Faye got off the bike and groaned while she popped her back and grabbed her ankle in a stretch, using Daryl's shoulder as a support. When she was done she waved Beth over.

"You keep watch while we try and find a route out of here, okay боец?" Beth nodded and hefted the shovel she had been using.

Daryl began walking back towards the hood of the truck, where the others had a map spread out and were discussing possible routes. Faye glanced back at them, then to Beth, before pulling her gun from her thigh holster and holding it out to Beth. "Here," Beth took the silver glock and looked up at Faye curiously. "You should have one while we're on the road. Don't want you to get overwhelmed." She explained.

Beth opened her mouth to protest, but Faye wagged a finger teasingly. "No talking back. People are dangerous, and you deserve more than just hand to hand training." She started walking backwards, "I'll show you how to clean it and load it later."

Beth looked down at the gun, understanding the trust behind the gesture. With the cold winter months that had passed, Beth had become more and more like she was when the barn was raided. It was gradual, but Faye and her family had noticed. She was getting angrier far more easily now, and pondered offing herself more than once. Faye was giving her a means to do it, but she knew this was different from Andrea's method. This was Faye believing in her to NOT do it, not using her as a psychology experiment.

She smiled and tucked it into her belt, shoulders set a little straighter.

When Faye finally approached the rest of them, T-Dog was just asking if he and a few others could go refill their water, to which Rick replied, "Knock yourselves out." Hershel drew him away for a hushed conversation not a moment later, so Faye turned away to give them privacy.

"I'm going with them to wash some things. You want me to bring anything of yours?" Faye asked. She leaned against Daryl's bike while he rummaged through his saddlebags.

"Nah," He glanced up at her but kept his hands in the pouch, "I'll get it done later. Here." He pulled a small foldable pocket knife from the bottom of the bag. "Meant to give that to ya when I found it, but I got distracted."

She smiled down at the little navy blue hilt, barely bigger than her palm, and tucked it in her pocket. "Thanks, Caxap. I'll try to bring something back for you."

He chewed on his thumbnail and avoided her eyes, "Ain't nothin'. Ya keep me warm at night, so." He shrugged.

Faye wiggled her eyebrows playfully, "Oh, so this is payment for my services?"

He scoffed and pulled a plastic bag full of laundry from the opposite bag. "Actually, yeah. I got somethin' for ya."

Faye chuckled but snatched the bag from him. "Gosh, so needy. I feel like a housewife!" She waved her free hand flippantly while she walked back to the cars.

The forest green denim hung loose on her thinning waist, held up by a men's belt. Her tank top, once tight across her chest, now sagged off her shoulders. It reminded him of their hunger predicament, but what else was new. Daryl smirked at her retreating form, before picking up his crossbow and turning to Rick. "Hey, while the others are washing their panties, let's go hunt. That owl didn't exactly hit the spot."

At the creek, Faye dunked her head under and shook her shoulder length hair out like a dog. T-Dog tried to shield himself but got most of the spray because he was right next to her. "Dammit, woman!" He shook the droplets from his arms, "Warn somebody, would you?"

Faye smiled while she wrung the locks out and replaced her blue bandanna. "Sorry, T. But I really don't want to become a white girl with dreadlocks."

"Just cut it off." Carol said from further upstream where she was refilling the water bottles. "I thought we were in this short hair business together."

Faye started to slide off her boots and socks. "Lori seemed lonely. I decided to join her for a bit." She started to wade out to where the flow was strongest, drawing the small pocket knife as she did.

"Faye, be careful." Glenn said without looking up. Faye was bent over, looking into the water with her bare arms spread wide. She didn't reply, just kept staring into the muddy water. After a few minutes, as everyone was finishing up, Faye thrust both hands beneath the surface and came back with a long catfish, almost a foot in length. It thrashed around a bit before she managed to stab it through the eye and it went still.

T-Dog shook his head and went back to washing, "Man, I'll never understand how you do that."

Maggie replied, "She's a fairy. She's all "one with nature" or some shit."

Faye shot her a polite smile and hooked the fish to her belt, where it slapped wetly against her bare thigh. Back at the road, Beth, Hershel, and Carl continued to keep watch, not really looking like anything had happened.

"чемпион," Carl looked back at her when she called for him. "Can you grab me a plastic bag? We're going to gut this fish in record speed." She slapped the fish down on the hood of the truck. Carl nodded and moved to the back of the van to get one.

Faye and Carl gut and skinned the fish in less than three minutes and had the entrails and left over skin buried so other walkers wouldn't find them. As Faye was dusting off her hands and securing the grocery bag back to her belt, Rick and Daryl returned empty handed.

"Nothing?" Lori asked, sounding disappointed.

Daryl shook his head, "Nah. Rick's got a crazy plan."

"Not crazy." The sheriff glanced back at the hunter, then addressed the group. "There's a prison about a mile up the road. Walkers with prison uniforms on are still inside, and the gate's intact. We can take the front yard by tonight."


	13. Who Knows

"What a gentleman." Faye mumbled as she shimmied through the fence before T-Dog. Daryl scoffed from where he was holding the fence back for her.

Glenn threaded the gate back up with wire just before a walker woman rammed against the chain link. Faye covered the back of the group with Glenn and Maggie, keeping watch for people and undead threats alike, until they jogged the perimeter and finally reached a gate into the yard. They were right next to a watchtower with a generator next to it, but had enough room to all stand together.

Rick stared over the yard and shambling corpses making their way towards fresh meat. "It's perfect," He said to himself, then louder for the group, "If we can shut that gate, prevent more from filling the yard," One walker slammed against the rattling gate towards Rick, "We can pick off these walkers. We can take the field by tonight." He was determined, they could tell. He was using his sheriff voice.

"So how do we shut the gate?" Hershel asked.

"I'll do it," Glenn panted, "You guys cover me."

Faye shook her head behind the couple while Maggie stated firmly, "No. It's a suicide run."

Glenn argued back, "I'm the fastest."

"No," Rick agreed with Maggie and pointed up the path, "You, Maggie, Faye, and Beth draw as many as you can over there. Pop 'em through the fence." He directed Carol and Daryl to one of the further towers they passed, while Carl and Hershel would go into the closer one.

Maggie pulled T-Dog with them, but Faye held back. She gripped Daryl's free hand as they passed each other, a silent reminder from each to stay safe. But she didn't look back at him, instead kept moving towards Rick, who was prepping to make his run.

"Rick, are you sure you don't want back up?" She helped him get the rifle on his back to for later. "You know I'm better at close combat."

He shook his head, "Nah. That'd just give our snipers another back to watch out for. I'll be fine." He drew his Python to check the rounds and grimaced. It must have been low.

"Here. Beth!" She called the girl back before she could rush off to guard the gate. When the blonde jogged close to her, she said, "Can Rick borrow your gun for this? He needs more ammo. We'll grab you another one from the bag for now."

Beth looked a little surprised that Faye called it her gun, but nodded and handed it over all the same. Rick glanced between the women, a silent question asked. Faye shrugged and squeezed his shoulder. "Be safe, вождь." He nodded in response and turned back to the gate.

Maggie, Glenn, T-Dog, Beth, and Faye drew the walkers to them by whistling and yelling at the gate. Faye and Beth used crowbars while the others used old rusty pipes to stab their eyes and faces. Within the first few walkers, Faye's hands were covered in the gore and the smell made her eyes water. She glanced behind the rotting face of one prisoner in front of her to see Lori open the gate and Rick weave behind the overturned bus and into the fray. They kept shouting and whistling to draw them near and keep them from their leader.

Gunshots from the towers popped around the yard and the few that got close to Rick fell before they could touch him. Beth started frantically shouting at one walker that started to turn towards the field and sound of the action. Faye knew this was dangerous because if one started to ignore them, the others would follow.

She finished off the dead in front of her and whistled sharply at Beth's walker. Beth flinched back at the noise and shot a glare at Faye, but it had worked. The walker shambled back within stabbing range, and Faye got him through the eye.

"Light it up!" Daryl shouted from his tower, and the gunshots became more frantic. The group on the fence drew their own weapons and started firing through the fence. Rick was on the ledge of the shorter tower he'd escaped into with his rifle, taking them out with the others.

The whole situation reminded Faye of those carnival games where you had to shoot the ducks as they popped up on the platform. She was using a smaller police handgun to take down the ones closest, and with one final shot from Rick, the yard was empty of living walkers.

The group cheered at their victory and rushed out to the yard. Faye ran ahead of the group on the fence and slid her arm around Daryl's waist in a side hug. He glanced down at her smiling face and smirked back, slinging an arm over her shoulder. Carol grinned at the open space and said to no one in particular, "Oh! We haven't had this much space since we left the farm!" She laughed and spun to see the open field.

Glenn rushed forward to kill one last walker, but never stopped smiling. T-Dog laughed and let out a victory call into the open space.

 

Later that night, they brought back the other vehicles and had gathered around a small fire roasting the fish Faye had caught. Faye, meanwhile, was sitting cross-legged on top of the overturned bus, staring into the dark forest surrounding the prison. Daryl stalked along the length of it behind her with his crossbow drawn.

"Gardenia." Daryl spoke softly.

"Zima."

"Daisy."

"Oh, my favorite." Faye smirked back at him, "Forget-me-not."

"Daffodil."

A new voice spoke up from the ground, "Cherokee Rose."

Faye leaned over the edge and saw Carol's smiling face holding two platters of food. She grinned back and said, "Send the food first."

Carol handed them up, but teased lightly, "Oh, now I see where your priorities are."

Faye set the food aside while Daryl slung his crossbow over his back and crouched down to help her up. Faye couldn't resist letting her gaze linger on his ass when he bent down to help her. God, how she would love to ride him while he wore nothing but that poncho. Wait, what? She blinked and turned away, frowning. If she was really starting to find ponchos sexy, she either needed to release some of this tension, or hope a therapist would join their group next.

"It's not much, but if I don't bring you two something, you won't eat at all." Carol passed them the plates, jolting Faye from her inner monologue. She smiled and accepted the fish and opossum meat.

"I guess little Shane over there has got quite the appetite." He dropped a strip of fish into his mouth. Faye coughed on her food but laughed around it from the edge of the bus.

Carol snickered as well but chastised him just the same. "Don't be mean." She said with a smile. "Rick's gotten us a lot further than I ever thought he would, I'll give him that. Shane could never have done that."

"He's pushing himself too hard, though." Faye said while she watched the man in question pace the fence for the third time. "The closer that baby gets the more dangerous he is."

Daryl hummed in agreement. Carol rolled her neck and he asked while he finished the last of his food, "What's wrong?" Faye looked up as well.

"It's that rifle. The kickback." She rubbed at her own shoulder. "I'm just not used to it."

Daryl pondered for a second, then handed his plate back to Faye. She stacked it with her own, but kept watching. "Hold on." He said before sucking the grease off of his fingers, a movement closely monitored by Faye. He gripped her right shoulder in a gentle massage, rolling his thumbs over the tendons until they loosened.

Carol smirked and raised an eye brow at Faye, who had her mouth full but still raised her shoulders up and down to convey that she didn't know what to make of the display of affection either. She smothered the spark of jealousy and instead decided to feel happy for Daryl that he was opening up to other people more. She couldn't possibly expect him to only want to touch or be touched by her. This was good for him.

He caught Carol's gaze, and though it was dark, Faye was willing to bet he blushed a bit. He pulled away from her and mumbled, "Better get back."

He started to move away but Carol said, "It's pretty romantic." She puckered her lips playfully, "Wanna screw around?"

Both Faye and Daryl scoffed, but Faye said, "Well duh." after her's. The three laughed a bit and Faye stood up to head down with them.

Daryl bent down again to head back over and told the women, "I'll go down first."

"Even better." Carol was grinning, and Faye let out a sharp burst of laughter that she smothered quickly with the back of her hand and continued to snicker into.

"Stop." Daryl snapped with no real mirth and jumped down the short distance to the ground.

Faye leaned over the edge to hand him the plates and Carol went down with support on his arm next. Faye slid down the edge on her back, intending to jump down and just land, but the heel of her boot got tripped on a part of the engine and she pitched forward a bit instead. Daryl caught her waist and held her up for a moment before lowering her to the ground. Faye's hands had gripped his shoulders on instinct, but she flinched away as soon as her feet hit the ground, "Uh, sorry." She mumbled and hoped her couldn't see her face burning.

He gave a quick nod, looking down and away as well. "S'alright." He mumbled and adjusted the bow on his back before passing Carol to head back towards the group. Carol smirked back at Faye, a knowing glint in her eyes, before following. Faye shook her head swiftly and pat at her cheeks in the hopes of getting a hold of herself before she had to sit near the man making her react like this. It was a whole ten seconds before she jogged after them.

When they made their way back to the group, Beth and Maggie were singing a lovely western tune about living life and making memories. Faye smiled softly at the sight of the whole group giving them their attention. A few eyelids drooped with drowsiness, and she found herself swaying a bit to the soft tune. When they finished, Hershel praised, "Beautiful."

Faye brushed past Daryl towards their big sleeping bag, so he would know what she was doing. "Better all turn in, "Rick announced. "I'll take watch over there. Got a big day tomorrow." Faye stopped unrolling the bag and looked up when she heard that.

"What do you mean?" Glenn sounded like he was afraid to ask.

Rick sighed and made eye contact with each one of them before saying, "Look, I know we're all exhausted." That was the understatement of the year. "This was a great win. But we gotta push just a little bit more. The walkers are dressed as guards and prisoners. Looks like this place fell pretty early. Could mean the supplies may still be intact. They could have an infirmary. A commissary." The hope really shone through in his voice.

"An armory?" Daryl sounded hopeful too.

"That would be outside the prison itself, but not too far away. Warden's office would have info on the location. Weapons, food medicine. This place could be a gold mine."

"We're dangerously low on ammo." Hershel said. "We'd run out before we make a dent."

"That's why we go in there hand to hand." Rick sounded like he hated saying it as much as the rest of them hated hearing it. "After all we've been through, we can handle it, I know it." He glanced down at Carl. "These asshole don't stand a chance." His son offered him a small smile in return before Rick stood up and wandered back to the bus to take watch. Lori got up to follow him a moment later.

Daryl moved towards Faye as she started to settle into their sleeping bag, and started to get ready for bed as well. When he finally got into the sleeping bag, Faye turned over to face him and pressed her forehead against his sternum. He pulled her closer with an arm over her shoulders and the other bent under his head. She smiled and let his familiar smell wash over her and lull her to sleep.

"Доброй ночи." She whispered. Daryl hummed in response, his eyes already closed. They had a big day tomorrow, indeed.

 

"You ready?" Hershel asked form where he gripped the gate, ready to open it. Rick nodded and unclipped the chain holding it together. As soon as the gate slid open, the fighters moved in.

Faye stood between Daryl and T-Dog, near the back of the circle, with her hatchets gripped in each hand. Her bedhead was pulled back with her blue bandanna, and her eyes darted around warily. She struck down a walker approaching T-Dog and darted back to her spot in the circle.

"Get tight! Get tight!" Daryl yelled before stabbing down a walker approaching Faye from her left while she was distracted by one on the right. The rest of the group started to rattle the gate and yell for the stray walkers to approach so they could stab them with old pipes and tools.

Maggie pulled away from stabbing one walker but missed one rushing at her from the side. Just as its fingers brushed her arm, it's head split open by the force of the flying hatchet and it fell. Maggie barely hesitated before yanking the bloody weapon back out and tossing it back to Faye, who caught it and spun back into her spot. T-Dog grabbed a riot shield before knocking one down and letting Glenn take care of the final blow.

"Almost there!" Rick called back before they rounded the corner of the yard. A moment of blessed silence fell on the group where they could take a moment to breathe, before Rick jolted back from the corner and breathed out, "Shit..." The opposite yard fence was open, and a few dozen walkers were milling about on the other side.

Faye put her hand on Daryl's stomach to push him back before he got to close to the edge of the building they were hiding behind. He raised his brow in a silent question, but before she could reply, they spotted four walkers in riot suits wobbling their way. Daryl raised his bow and fired at one, but it ricochet and the arrow clattered to the ground.

He dodged back to draw his knife instead, and the others rushed back into battle. They hacked desperately at their helmets, but they were having no effect, and the herd by the gates were starting to notice them. Glenn paid attention to the few that were unguarded, and kept hacking.

" _DARYL!_ " Rick yelled back before shoving back a guarded walker and rushing for the fence. Daryl stabbed one more of the dead before running after him and tugging at the gate. A guarded walker approached the men as they were finishing up, and Faye tripped the one with a gas mask on and left it behind to rush at the other.

"Get down!" She yelled to Daryl as they got the gate shut. He just barely ducked to avoid getting kicked by her leg, stretched out, to knock the Walker's head aside. A sickening tearing noise was heard, and it's neck tore in half. It's head hung by most of it's skin and bones at an odd angle, but the chin strap kept the helmet on.  
She growled lowly and took a few steps back before running at it in a sprint. She grabbed it's arms and swung up to sit on it's shoulders, and with a twist of her hips and pull of her body, she tore the head and helmet the rest of the way off and rolled to the ground.

The body fell with a thud and Daryl paused in surprise at what he saw. Maggie had just figured out to stab up into the helmets to get them through their chins. Daryl shook himself out of it and pushed the last one's head forward to bury his blade into the back of it's skull. Rick tore the gas mask, and face, off the last one and stabbed it through the eyes, ending the threat of walkers in the yard.

Faye stood up and wiped most of the blood off her hands and onto her shorts, which were already totally ruined. She picked up her hatchets again and shook the gore off of them as well, already dreading having to clean them. The head she pulled off shook and growled inside of the helmet, and Daryl stabbed up into it to shut it up. When he rose, he ticked a head at Faye, silently asking if she was okay. She nodded and gave him a once over to check the same, and he nodded back.

 

Faye and T-Dog flinched back from the walker Daryl kicked over the edge of the second level of Cell Block C. The fatal wound in it's head split further with the force of it falling, and sprayed blood across the floor.

"Ugh! Daryl, be careful so they don't go splat!" She called back up while she hefted up the dead's shoulders. T got the feet and they started to shuffle the corpse out past the rest of the group moving in.

"That was the last one, Tinker Bell. Don't get yer panties in a twist." He leaned over the railing to yell back to her. She glared up at him before they rounded the corner.

She and T-Dog heaved the body into the pile in the field and leaned back from the smell. While they walked back up to the prison, the setting sun at their backs, T-Dog started in a casual tone, "So you and Daryl?"

She shot him a look, "What about us?"

"Aha, so there's an 'us'." He smirked teasingly.

She scoffed, "Who knows? If he ever sacks up and asks, there might be. But for now," she pushed open the door for them, "We're friends with benefits. The benefits being that we snuggle and gripe at each other with flirtatious undertones." She smirked.

"Wait, so you _know_ you two like each other? Did you miss the part where the world ended and there's no time to waste on these things?" He sounded incredulous and quieted his voice.

"We're not kids, T. We don't "like" each other, we just...trust each other." She thought for a second and stopped walking. "I don't want to make him uncomfortable by bringing something like this up. If he's happy where we are, then so am I. I'm not going to force him to do anything he's not okay with or isn't sure about. So don't say anything."

T-Dog nodded and grinned at her, "Okay, but I am going to tease you about this." He slung an arm over her shoulders and led them back to the cells.

She snorted, "Try it and I'll kick your ass."

When they crossed back into the cells, Rick looked up from the ground where he was leaned against the wall settled for watch. Faye ducked from under T's arm and marched up to him. "Oh, no." She pulled him up by his arm, "You had watch last night. Go find Carl and go to sleep."

He started to protest but T-Dog interrupted him, "I wouldn't, man. She's still running on her adrenaline high from clearing the yard, so I won't be able to stop her from locking you in a cell to sleep."

A few amused snorts echoed around the block, and Faye glared at him to make her point. He was too tired to argue and relented. "Fine. T, you got first watch?" T-Dog nodded and took up his rifle and post.

Faye kept dragging him back to the cells until she found Carl's, and dumped his dad on the bed. Carl looked over the edge of the bed to watch her toss a blanket over the grown man, who looked equal parts amused and confused at her actions. When she stood up and met the boy's brown eyes, she smiled softly. She used the bottom bunk's frame to boost herself up to his level, and kissed his temple softly.

"Good night, чемпион." She murmured. He smiled in return and turned over in his bed. She jumped back down softly and saw Rick still staring up at her. "What?" She teased softly, "You want one too?"

He snorted and shook his head. "Nah, jus'...thanks."

She smiled and left the cell quietly. As she passed T-Dog, she offered him a nod good night, and climbed the stairs to try and find an empty cell. She let her mind drift a bit, thinking about what she told T-Dog. Saying it out loud made it more true to her; Daryl really was steering this relationship, and she was letting him. She wanted him to take charge and tell her for sure, because she knew if she were to bring it up or confess first, he might freak out and change the friendship they have now. She just didn't want to be greedy with his affections.

Faye was so distracted, she tripped over Daryl's mattress on top of the landing and landed across his stomach, knocking the wind out of them both. Faye propped herself up on her elbows and glared behind her, "Why the fuck are you set up at the top of the stairs?!" She hissed.

"Why the hell are ya not lookin' where yer going?!" He whisper yelled back at her.

She scoot back to where she was propped on her elbows, which ended up bracketing his waist. She kept glaring though, too irked to see the awkwardness of their position. "I didn't think anyone was dumb enough to put a mattress on top of the staircase!"

"I ain't sleeping in a cage!" He pulled her off of him so she was laying down next to him. He moved quickly to get her out of any "thought provoking" position before he got stiff.

"So you try and kill me with a mattress?!"

"It's yer own damn fault for not paying attention!"

"I was thinking about other shit! You can't possibly think this was my fault!"

"What the hell could be so distracting, that ya miss a giant fucking mattress on the floor?!"

" _GO TO SLEEP_." Carol spoke at normal volume, so it was heard by everyone in the block.

Faye gripped Daryl's shirt and shoved her face in his sternum. She groaned, frustrated, before relaxing with her head still pressed between his pecs. He chuckled and ran his fingers through her hair until they both fell asleep.

 

Faye woke up rubbing at her eyes and shuffled down the steps a few minutes after Daryl had awaken. She had changed into one of the smaller prison uniforms, but cut the sleeves off so she would be cooler. She kept the rope around her waist to keep it from being as baggy. Most of the fighters of the group were gathered in the commissary, inspecting a table of weapons they raided earlier.

"Morning, Sleeping Beauty." Daryl said while he did a practice swing with a baton.

Glenn scoffed, "More like Maleficent, with her dragon breath."

Faye didn't offer a comeback, just thumped him on the back of the head. "So we're moving out soon?" She glanced to Rick.

"Yeah, just taking inventory. Hey, Faye umm..." He hesitated, then motioned her to the side. When they were out of earshot, he asked softly, "Will you stay back? Talk to Lori a bit about your pregnancy?"

Faye blinked. "Rick, I worked in a high risk job surrounded by murderers while living with my rapist for four months. I'm hardly the go-to when you need advice on how to get a no-stress environment for childbirth."

He sighed like he was frustrated, "But you were still pregnant. She's stressed about childbirth and you know everything that can happen or go wrong because you weren't going to go to a hospital, right? I just..." He ran a hand through his hair. "I just don't want to lose anyone when something could have been done."

Faye pursed her lips. "Maybe you should tell her that?" Before Rick could say anything, she continued. "Lori needs a friend. She needs someone to support her having this baby as much as she does. I see how you and Carl are around her, and I can't blame you, but she's scared. Even just telling her that you are too can help."

He clenched his jaw and stared off towards the table for a few seconds before muttering, "Get ready to leave. We go in five." He walked back into the cells briskly.

Faye sighed, but did what he said. He rejoined the team a little after Carl and Beth came snooping around, picking at the armor and weapons still on the table. Faye smirked at Carl while he played with a riot helmet.

"You won't need that." Rick took the helmet back from him. "I need you to stay here."

"You're kidding." Carl looked dumbfounded.

Rick persisted, "Look, we don't know what's in there. Something goes wrong you could be the last man standing. I need you to handle things here."

Carl stood a little straighter and nodded. "Sure."

Rick stepped back. "Great. Let's go." He handed off the keys to his son and waited for everyone else to leave the block.

While the others moved out, Faye hung back and grabbed a piece of paper from the table. She pulled Beth and Carl by the arms closer to her and opened it up. "In case something goes wrong, if you can't fight it out, don't risk anything." She pointed along a red marker line tracing the map of the prison. "Head along this red line, through the other blocks, and out the exit back into the yard." She handed the map to Beth, "Try and find alternative routes in case mine is blocked. And be safe." She kissed each one on the head, and left them to plan.

She had to jog and catch up, which was difficult with the gun across her back and riot vest on, but she caught them just before they left through the door to the catacombs.

 

The walk into the tombs was torturous and panic inducing. The scene straight out of a horror game had all of their pulses racing. Glenn and Maggie's yelps after bumping into each other made Faye fear for Hershel's heart health.

They kept rounding corners and praying for the most part, the only interruption of the quiet was Glenn's can of spray paint directing them on where to go back. Faye stayed near the back, watching behind them with her hatchets drawn, while Daryl and Rick led the front.

They had just passed what looked to be death's row when a herd of undead prisoners rounded the hall in front of them. "Go! Get back!" Rick ordered and waved them away. Now Faye was leading and tried to follow the arrows, but the same herd must have spread through the tombs and had them cut off.

"We're blocked!" Faye yelled while she backed towards the group. Rick chose an adjacent hallway and ushered them down it. T-Dog caught Hershel before he tripped over a body and pushed him on. They dodged and jumped over walkers and corpses until they made it into a small solitary cell.

They crouched in a circle, lightly panting and taking check of each other. "Where's Glenn and Maggie?" Rick whispered.

Hershel hissed, "We have to go back for them!"

"But which way?" Daryl asked. Rick stood back up and checked through the mesh window before pushing open the double doors and checking the hallway. The rest of them followed, T-Dog and Faye stayed back to back and checked down any connecting hallways for walkers or their friends.

"Wait," T-Dog stopped the group, "Where's Hershel?" No sooner had the question passed his lips than a familiar snarling echoed around the halls, and was drowned by a man's scream.

"Shit!" Rick rushed past them to lead back the way they came. He fired once around the corner to kill the walker gripping Hershel's calf in its teeth. Faye slid to her knees next to the wound and started unwrapping the rope that served as her belt to bind a few inches above the wound. There was only one way he was living through this, and the sooner the path to the infection is cut off, the better.

The herd came back around both corners, cutting them off from escape and limiting their options. Faye let the men carry Hershel, while she rushed for Maggie before she went into shock and pulled her down the hall by the arm. Faye drew one ax and hacked down the handcuffs holding the double doors at the end of the hall locked so they could push inside. Daryl, T-Dog, and Faye hung back to hold the doors closed against the onslaught of corpses slamming against them.

The room looked like it was a cafeteria at one point, but the tables were all pushed against the walls. Daryl grabbed a fallen pipe and thread it through the door handles before rushing to join Rick on the ground.

"Rick!" Faye called to him, and kicked one of her hatchets across the floor, where he caught it. Rick picked it up and said something for Hershel to hear, then raised the ax to bring it back down above the wound. The sound of bone and flesh splitting became the only sound in the room besides the banging doors. Hershel passed out just before Rick finished.

The sheriff leaned back on his heels and dropped the ax with a clatter. "Ohh, God." He sounded like he was about to be sick. "He's bleeding out." He announced to the group.

Faye asked T-Dog if he could handle it at the door, and when she got his consent, she grabbed a wheeling cart and tipped all the dishes off of it. She pushed it over to them and was standing behind Rick when Daryl looked her in the eye and whispered, "Duck." She dropped to her knees without hesitation, and twisted the gun on her back to point where he was aiming behind her.

She had to blink a few times at what she saw. People. Real, not-dead people in prison uniforms stood behind the counter of the kitchen. The shortest, with a mustache, whispered "Holy shit."

Faye mentally scoffed and thought, _You said it, pal._


	14. Unsteady

"Who the hell are you?"

"Who the hell are you!?"

The prisoners shot their questions back at them and seemed even more surprised than the group was. Rick started directing Glenn and Maggie to put pressure on Hershel's wound and get him on the cart.

"Why don't you come on out." It was more of an order from Daryl. While the men moved out from behind the wall, Faye stood and kept her gun on the only one she could see was armed.

"What happened to him?" The leader demanded.

"He got bit."

His guard visually rose and he pulled the revolver from his pants. "Bit?" He asked cautiously.

"Whoa, whoa. Put it back or hand it over, compañero." Faye said in a soothing but strong tone.

T-Dog pushed away from the door and joined Faye and Daryl. The leader didn't drop his gun, but Glenn rushed past them, asking, "Have you got any medical supplies?"

"Hey, what're you doing?!" The leader was still talking, turning towards Glenn.

"Medicina, ever heard of it?" Faye turned his attention back to her so Glenn could go through the back.

T-Dog asked, "Faye what's he need to look for?"

"Uhh..." Faye thought back to her days in the hospital and tried to remember something she might have heard the doctors shout. "Anti-inflammatory, pain meds, anything high in iron, and avoid anything that is non-steriods!" She called to the back, but didn't take her eyes off of the men.

"Who are you people, anyway?" "Don't look like no rescue team."

Faye would have laughed at the situation, if it weren't so pitiful and inappropriate. "If you're waiting for a rescue team, don't!" Rick yelled back to them while they hefted Hershel onto the cart.  
"Come on, we gotta go! I need a hand here!" He started pushing Hershel out. "T get the door! Faye, be ready!"

While T-Dog pulled at the pipe in the door, Faye backed from the prisoners and stood at the head of the group with her weapon aimed at the exit. "What are you doing?! Don't open the door!" One of the men sounded panicked.

"Relax, boys," the doors flew open and Faye stared down the sights, "I'm a professional." She let loose across the wave of dead, all at eye-level so most heads exploded on impact. When none was left but another guarded walker, she dropped the gun to hang from her body and shoved it back while picking up the pipe that held the door shut, then finally stabbed under it's chin to kill it.

She and T-Dog helped push the bodies out of the way and covered their escape from the front, while Daryl and Glenn stuck to the back. Daryl bent to grab Faye's ax before backing out quickly with his group, leaving the prisoners in an eerie silence. The only sign that they had been there at all was the severed leg laying in a pool of blood on the floor.

 

Beth looked up from charting escape routes in her cell at the sound of distant automatic gunfire. Carl ran into her cell, having heard it too. "It's them. They wouldn't shoot unless it's an emergency." Beth nodded in agreement and ran towards the door with him just as the shouting got within range.

"Get the door!" Rick yelled, "It's Hershel!" Carl scrambled for the lock when they pushed through. They wheeled Hershel past them and into a closer cell, where they began to heft him onto the bed.

Beth was staring at her father in the cell while breathing heavily, her eyes were wild and shocked. "Oh, God he's gonna die." She said softly.

Faye glanced back at her while she unstrapped the vest from the unconscious man. As soon as she slid it off, she propped his head on it and ran to find pillows at Carol's instruction. As she left she dragged Beth with her.

By now she was crying, and Maggie followed as well when she saw her sister in distress. Faye was only a few inches taller than Beth, but she still tilted her head up with hands on the side of her face. "Beth, look at me. Look at me now, breathe with me." She took deep breaths until Beth followed and her eyes were flowing freely, but at least she seemed more aware.

"He's going to die. He's going to die and I don't know what to do...!" She wiped her tears away roughly, and Faye dropped the hands from her face. She turned her bloodshot eyes back up at Faye's face desperately. "Mom, what do I do?!"

Faye blinked twice before she came back to the conversation. Beth didn't seem to realize her mistake, but Maggie and Faye definitely did, and exchanged a quick glance before turning back to the blonde. "I can't tell you how to do everything, Beth. But for now, go grab some pillows and do whatever Carol and Lori ask for." She glanced towards the commissary, "Now, I have to go. But Maggie is here, and he's not dead yet. Pray, if it helps." She kissed Beth's temple before rushing back towards the doorway.

Beth didn't even spare her sister a glance before rushing through the cells to find pillows and supplies. Her eyes were harder, more determined, now. Maggie moved back into the cell to help where she was needed.

Faye crept around the corner into the commissary with her automatic slung back up and aimed at the group of prisoners that followed them. She just heard the tail end of the leader talking, "-got me thinking there ain't no place left for us to go."

Daryl snarled back at them, "Why don't you go find out?"

By now they were all turned to stare at Faye as she approached slowly, still looking down the sights of the rifle. "I'd listen to him." She said coldly. "By the time you fire that thing once there'll be at least eight holes in you. And I doubt your aim is that good, puta."

He sneered, "Ohh, little kitty has claws. Tell me, gringo," He gestured between them with his gun, "she your bitch?"

"Shut up." Daryl growled.

"Time to leave, boys." Faye closed one eye to aim, a silent threat.

He narrowed his eyes at the two, "Nah, we ain't leaving."

T-Dog came from under the stairwell with his gun raised, "Well you ain't coming in, either."

Tomas slipped his gun towards T-Dog, yelling "This is my house, my rules. I go where I damn well please!"

"Shut up!" Faye yelled over it all. The arguing came to a halt and all eyes were on her now. She didn't shift under their gazes but instead said lowly. "We'll figure something out. But for now, hand over that gun. We won't hurt you, but we can't have you threatening us whenever we try to compromise."

"Oh, and what about you, bruja?" Tomas trained the gun on her now. Daryl stiffened and his finger tightened on his trigger. "You don't think we feel threatened?"

"I think when I meet a group of prisoners trying to kick me out of my home I have every right to hold this gun against you. You know, Second Amendment and all that." She sounded sarcastic.

"Hey sweetheart, no need for that attitude!" He grinned maliciously, "You come into our house, you wear our clothes, and now you're moving into my bedroom? That shit's not gonna fly unless I'm in there too when you give my clothes back."

"Shut up, fucker." Daryl growled lowly and moved towards her on instinct.

"Get that gun off her, man." T-Dog threatened from the side, "She's a killer."

Faye cringed at T's words. She didn't like being displayed as a weapon.

The smallest black man came forward and laughed, patronizing. "What? You step on a ladybug or something?"

Faye grit her teeth. She had had it with these sexist assholes. If the giant fucking machine gun wasn't enough, maybe telling them her count would make them back off. It certainly couldn't hurt the situation more. "Yeah. Thirty one ladybugs. And all I'm seeing in front of me are spots." She took a menacing step forward.

"Hey, hey, back up!" Tomas demanded.

"Just get out of here!" T yelled back. That started a catastrophe of voices blending into what would surely escalate into a massacre if not stopped soon. Apparently telling them she was a serial killer didn't help. Shocker. She berated her stupidity silently while they argued.

Luckily, Rick came in and put an end to it by commanding, "Hey, everyone relax! There's no need for this."

"How many of you are in there?"

"Too many for you to handle."

Tomas shifted his eyes between them again. "You guys rob a bank or something? Why don't you just take him to a hospital?"

The room was slient.

"How long were you in that cafeteria?" Rick asked cautiously.

He hesitated before answering, "Going on like ten months."

Faye sighed and lowered her weapon a little, but still kept it aimed, "Holy shit..." she said softly.

"A riot broke out." The biggest, Big Tiny, said. "Never seen anything like it."

"Attica on speed, man." Axel's twang was almost funny, had it not been for the situation.

"Ever hear about dudes going cannibal? Dying coming back to life?" Andrew shook his head. "Crazy."

"One guard looked out for us, locked us in the cafeteria. Threw me this piece and said sit tight. That he'd be right back." Miguel explained, but still had the gun up.

"That was two hundred and ninety two days ago."

Faye pursed her lips together and lowered her gun. She turned back and handed the weapon to Rick. "I'll let you have the fun telling them. I'll check up on Hershel." He barely looked at her and nodded, so she went back into the cell block. She doubted they could come to a conclusion with her there after they knew her headcount.

Besides, a world full of the living dead was one thing. But a group of people who had no idea the world ended was a whole other kind of crazy that she wasn't ready for.

 

"Carl." The boy froze with one hand on the door leading into the far side of the prison they hadn't cleared yet. "What are you doing?"

He turned slowly towards Faye, and took in her stance. With her hands on her hips and one eyebrow raised in question, she looked ready to drag him back towards the cell herself. The blood and gore splattering her body didn't really do anything to deter the menacing look in her eye.

"I was...going to look for the infirmary." He said sheepishly, but with no sign of backing down. He was going to get those supplies, whether she let him or not.

But, to his surprise, she just blinked and dropped the "angry mom" facade. "Oh. Okay." She dropped her arms and walked back towards the stairs.

Carl hesitated with his hand on the lock of the door. Something about her behavior was off. There was no way she was actually okay with him going, right? He looked up when he heard her clanging footsteps receding the stairs, and she walked back towards him with her axes in hand.

"I don't need your help." Faye ignored him and reached past him for the door handle. "I can do it by myself!" He insisted.

"Yeah, but I need your help. I'm dying of boredom in here." She pushed the door open and held up her flashlight. Immediately, embarrassment flooded his face. He hadn't even thought to bring a flashlight.

He followed after her quietly, and closed the door behind them, flooding the hall with darkness. They weaved through the halls for a bit, Carl was reading the map and whispering hushed directions. They could hear distant groans, but didn't see any walkers until they got to the medical ward. The door was hung ajar, crooked on its hinges.

"I'll keep watch out here. You get as much as you can." Faye whispered. He nodded and moved in to clear the room out. She heard him rummaging around and then unzip a bag. It was quiet in the halls, save for wind whooshing through the corridors and shuffling of feet.

After a few minutes, Carl rushed back out with a duffel bag over his shoulder. "We're good, let's go."

Faye glanced back into the room. "Hold on a second..." she left Carl to guard while she went through the cabinets.

Carl stood guard while she searched for whatever she was looking for. Two walkers rounded the corner slowly, and he watched them catch sight of him and speed up. Almost casually, he raised his gun with the silencer attached and shot them both before they could reach five feet of him.

Faye walked out as he was lowering his gun. "Good job," she praised and hefted the half full garbage bag on her back. "Now we can go."

"What'd you get?" Carl asked quietly, guard still up but curious.

"Found some cleaning supplies," she explained. "It'll make it easier to sleep in rooms that don't look like a slaughterhouse." She grinned, "Never thought I'd be so excited to deep clean a prison."

He snorted and was quiet the rest of the way back.

When they did finally get back to C Block, Carl headed straight for Hershel's cell with the bag. Faye hung back to lock the door.

"I thought you were sorting the food." Glenn said in greeting.

"We're fine, thanks." Faye called up. "And this is better." She shook her trash bag in his direction before going into the first cell to start cleaning. Glenn looked confused, but followed Carl to see what was in his bag.

Faye took inventory of the bleach and scrubbing tools she found. There was a bottle of drain-o that made her think of the possibility of showers, and she sighed blissfully. As she scratched at some of the dried blood coating her arm, she realized she would actually prefer a shower over sex at this point, which was really saying something.

She looked up at the sound of raised voices, and barely caught Lori saying, "Even if you were with Faye it was still extremely dangerous for you to-" She stopped talking when running footsteps sounded through the block.

Faye sighed and stood from her crouch to exit the inventory cell and stepped directly in front of Carl. He barreled into her and knocked her back a step. She gripped his shoulders and tried to get him to look at her. "Carl, calm down. Carl!"

He kept fighting against her, trying to thrash out of her grip. When she realized he was too upset to really talk, she spun him around and pulled his arms across his chest. Before he could try and pull away again, she yanked him off balance so he fell against her chest, and she took him down into a sitting position.

"We aren't moving until you calm down, Carl," she said firmly. He kept trying to squirm away. Glenn poked his head out, but Faye mouthed, 'I got it' to him. He still looked a little concerned, but went back in all the same.

Faye rocked back and forth slowly, keeping her breathing slow and steady until he matched it. They could have sat there for a almost ten minutes until his grip on her wrists loosened considerably as he calmed down. Faye pressed a gentle kiss to his head, and that seemed to finally break him.

It started with a sniff, but then he started to shake and pressed his eyes against her dirty arms. She let go of him, thinking he would pull away, but was mildly surprised when he turned and tucked his head back against her shoulder. She adapted and wrapped her arms around him, stroking his hair and shushing his quiet sobs.

"You're okay. We're okay, Carl." She said softly. He sighed heavily and stayed in her embrace a while longer.

"I can't do anything right..." me mumbled into her chest. "Mom didn't think I did something good. She yelled at me for it. It's not fair! I'm not a kid, anymore but she keeps treating me like one." He sounded so tired, and didn't seem to grasp the irony of his words and his position. Here he was, claiming he wasn't a kid while he was curled into a mother figure's embrace.

Faye kept petting his hair and said softly, "You can't do everything right and please everyone at once. And she's worried, чемпион. You can't get mad at her for that."

"Yeah, but you weren't worried!" He leaned back to look her in the face. "You knew I could get to the infirmary."

"Yes I was. I was extremely worried." She leaned back against the door to the hallways, and he sat back on his knees between her spread legs. "I just saw that I wasn't going to convince you not to. So I decided that the next best thing was to go with you."

Carl narrowed his eyes, "So you think I'm just a kid too, huh?" He snapped.

Faye shook her head, "Oh, Carl. I know you're a kid. But you're also very capable and have great ideas, good reflexes, and the best moral compass I've ever seen. You're young, but that doesn't mean people look down on you." She reached out to tuck a lock of hair behind his ear, but he jerked away. She hid the hurt in her expression and lowered her hands. "What you did was right. And it did a lot of good. The only thing I would change was the part where you tried to go without telling anyone."

He huffed and stood up, face still twisted in anger. She looked up at him with her head stretched all the way back. "Remember when I ran off alone early on? Just after the farm? You were worried about me then, and we barely knew each other." He looked back down at her, fists at his sides loosening. "Imagine if I did that now. You would want to go after me too, чемпион."

He looked at her a few seconds longer, then turned away and stomped up the stairs towards the guard watch. Faye sighed and rubbed at her temples. Teenagers were fucking weird.

 

Was the day almost over? Faye glanced through the tall windows of B Block and huffed in irritation. Nope, it was probably just early evening, based on where the sun was. Honestly, all she wanted to do was go to sleep in the arms of a certain redneck.

She stabbed the last walker clawing through the bars of the cell, then unlocked the door. She didn't bother trying to stop the corpse from flopping forward and splattering against the floor, just like she hadn't for the other ones.

T-Dog smirked at her a bit. "Working out some frustrations?"

"Do I seem like a mother?" Her question seemed to shock him, so she elaborated. "I mean, I was ready to be one, with Nikita. But it seems like I'm doing a lot of things that a mom does recently. I guess it would be okay if I knew why that makes my stomach feel a little queasy, but I don't so now I'm just worried that I feel weird because I'm not made for it. And I know that-" She cut herself off from her rant and wild gestures when she caught T's eye. "Sorry." She looked down. "Been a long day, I guess."

He shook his head, "Totally get it. From what I understand a lot of women go a little baby crazy at some point." His voice was teasing, so she relaxed.

"Not babies. Teenagers. So worse." She started heading back to fetch the last two prisoners of the group.

"I'll never understand why you torture yourself like that."

Faye chuckled a little as the prisoners were brought in by Daryl and Rick. She fell silent when she saw the look on their faces.

"Oh man..." Axel said softly and gazed across the row of bodies with wide eyes. "I knew these guys. These were good men."

She and Daryl exchanged a look of pity for them. It must have been hard to be thrust into this confusing world so quickly. "Let's go." Rick ordered.

They had barely taken a step when Oscar called them back with his question, "You're just gonna leave us in here? Man, that is sick!"

"We're putting this part of the prison on lock down. From now on this part of the prison's yours. Take it or leave it, that's the deal." Rick affirmed, then left.

Daryl held his arm out for Faye, and she approached quickly. She let her fingers brush his own before she slid next to him. "You think this is sick," Daryl spoke to them, "You don't wanna know what's outside.

"And the dead ones aren't even the worst part, anymore." Faye said quietly, remembering all the people they'd had to kill on the road.

"Consider yourselves the lucky ones." Rick left back towards their cell block.

"Sorry about your friends, man." Daryl said sincerely, then took Faye's hand and guided her back into the halls.

"Word of advice," T-Dog said from the bars, "take those bodies outside, and burn 'em."

 

Faye flopped back onto her own mattress, shoved up next to Daryl's. It had been a long day, but luckily it ended on a positive note.

When Hershel opened his eyes, a wash of hope flooded through the group. Faye was right there with them, standing in the doorway next to Daryl with their fingers interlaced between them. Faye had smiled up at him, and he had grinned back down at her.

Now she was done with her watch, and Daryl had relieved her. They hadn't spoken much today, but they were there for each other in so many other ways. Silent touches and reassuring glances went a long way these days. She drifted off with a smile and Daryl's grinning, hopeful face in her mind.

It seemed like she had barely blinked before she was being nudged over and then drawn back in to lay against a warm chest. She felt Daryl breathe in against her hair and tighten his arms around her waist. "How was yer day?" He mumbled, and she could tell his eyes were closed already. She snuggled back against him and covered his arms with her own.

"Cleaned a lot. Went to the infirmary with Carl. Beth called me mom." She yawned, "I heard that the guy with a gun is dead?"

Daryl nodded, ruffling her hair against his cheek more, "Yeah, tried to kill Rick. Threw a walker at him. He killed him and chased down his friend. The big guy got scratched earlier on."

Faye clicked her tongue softly. "That sucks. I'm glad you all got out okay."

She squeezed the top of his hand under her's. He slowly turned it so it was palm up, and she gently interlaced their fingers. It meant something different now, and they both felt it. This wasn't two people looking for comfort like before when Hershel woke up. This was Faye and Daryl, touching because they wanted to. This time it wasn't for warmth or to pull each other out of danger, it was relaxed, and made their chests tingle.

"...should we talk about this now?" Faye almost whispered it.

Daryl didn't respond for so long Faye thought he must have fallen asleep. But then, "First thing tomorrow. Give us some time to decide what to talk about, exactly."

She hummed in agreement. "Good night, caxap."

"G'night, Tinker Bell."


	15. Stubborn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FAIRY BOMB! If you don't follow me mysteryelle on tumblr, you missed the announcement for 3, that's right 3, chapters being uploaded at once. I felt guilty about not being consistent in posting, and want to make it up to you. Enjoy! (And follow me on Tumblr for more announcements and art!)

The next morning, after untangling herself from Daryl, Faye sat for a moment staring down at him. For now, she tried to think of how exactly to start this conversation. 'I really like you' seemed too childish. 'I want to be able to fuck you but also hold your hand sweetly' seemed a little too blunt.

Footsteps clanged up the stairs, and Rick's familiar face passed over the landing. "Hey, we gotta clear the yard." He toed Daryl's back. "Come on, Dixon."

Daryl grumbled and rolled further into the mattress. Rick chuckled and Faye smiled. "I'll get him." She promised. She had hoped that Rick would just nod and walk off, but he stayed and waited. It was looking like their talk would have to wait.

She leaned down next to his ear and whispered, "Daryl, if you don't wake up soon I'm giving you a wedgie."

Daryl chuckled with his eyes closed and replied in his gruff morning voice, "Joke's on you, Sweet Thang. I ain't wearing any underwear."

She reeled back and smacked his arm. "Eww, gross Daryl!" She wrenched the blanket off of him. "Yeast infections and chafing are a real possibility! And, oh my God, I thought you just didn't let anyone else wash them! Do you even have a pair?! Disgusting men, all of you!"

Daryl was laughing into his pillow at her freak out. Meanwhile, Rick looked really confused but was still smiling as he gathered the context clues. Faye pulled the top half of her prison suit down and tied it around her waist, revealing a dirty and stained white tank top underneath.

"I swear to God...heathens! It's a good thing you love the woods so much because you're starting to smell like the shit you hunt!" She kept ranting as she walked down the stairs. Her words held no real malice, and were mainly a cover up so she could escape to think about how to broach the topic of their relationship.

Carol and T-Dog were already outside in the yard waiting. Carol was wearing a headscarf that looked cooler than what Faye was wearing while T-Dog lounged back on a table.

"Good morning," she greeted. "How are we doing?"

"Good." T said and shot her a smile. "How'd you sleep?"

Faye smiled blissfully, "Warm and a little sweaty."

Carol snorted, "Faye, when are you going to stop giving that boy a run for his money?"

"Whenever he pays the fuck up and admits he can't resist this ass." She pulled a cigarette out of her uniform pocket and a lighter from another. "I've been chasing his ass all winter," she lit herself up and took a drag, "it's only fair that he takes a turn."

Carol snickered quietly and T-Dog chuckled, "Seems about right." He affirmed.

When Rick and Daryl came out the door moments later, Faye held out the mostly whole cigarette behind her. Daryl took it and dragged it down on the walk to the fields.

"Where's Glenn and Maggie? We could use some help." Carol asked the group.

Faye snorted, "In the guard tower."

"Guard tower?" Rick turned towards the structure. "They were just up there last night."

Daryl sucked down a little more of the cancer stick and handed it off to Faye so he could shout, "Glenn! Maggie!"

It was a few moments before Glenn came out, fixing his pants and shirtless. Faye chuckled at his appearance, exchanging an amused look with Carol. "H-hey! What's up, guys!" He answered awkwardly.

Daryl cast a smirk back at Faye, a look she recognized as his 'watch this' face. He put his hands on his hips and called back up, "You comin'?"

Faye inhaled so hard she took most of the cigarette into her mouth, and had to spit it out to cough in laughter. Carol saw what had happened and barked out a quick laugh while she pat her back. Faye wheezed in laughter, back hunched and knees bent.

Glenn looked horrified. "...what?"

"You comin'?" Daryl repeated. When he just glanced back at Maggie in confusion, Daryl cut him some slack. "Come on, we could use a hand." He waved him down and turned back to Faye. He glanced down at the cigarette on the ground then back at her, looking betrayed. "Why'd ya drop it?"

Carol howled in laughter and tried to explain between gasps, "She-she tried to deep throat the cigarette and it went," she made a slurping noise and went back to cracking up.

Her foul language only brought on more laughter, until T-Dog did a double take at the prison gates. "Hey, Rick?" He pointed to the gates, where Axel and Oscar were approaching the yard.

Smiles immediately fell, and Rick scowled while he approached them in long strides. "Come with me," he ordered quietly. When they were within talking distance, Rick held up a hand. "That's close enough. We had an agreement."

"Please mister. We know that." Axel pleaded. "We had a deal. But you gotta understand, we can't live in that place another minute." Glenn and Maggie exit the guard tower behind them, so the prisoners were surrounded by the group. "You follow me? All the bodies. People we knew. There are blood, brains everywhere. There's ghosts."

"Why didn't you move the bodies out?" Daryl asked.

"You should be burning them." T-Dog reminded them of his earlier warning.

"We tried. We did." Axel sounded insistent.

"Fence is down on the far side of the prison." Oscar said. "Every time we open the door to bring a body out those things line up. We're just dropping the body then running back inside."

"Look, we had nothing to do with Tomas and Andrew." He moved closer to them.

Faye stepped forward threateningly. "He said you were close enough." Her steel glare and low tone made Axel gulp and step back to where he was before he continued.

"You trying to prove a point? You proved it, bro. We'll do whatever it takes to be a part of your group. Just please, please...don't make us live in that place."

"Our deal is not negotiable." Rick spoke in his authoritative tone. "You either live in your cell block, or you leave."

Axel sighed in disappointment. Oscar shook his head, "I told you this was a waste of time." He turned to Rick, "They ain't no better than the pricks who shot up our boys. You know how many friends corpses we had to drag out this week? Just threw them out like..." He took a breath. "They were good men. Had our backs against the bad dudes in this joint. Now, we all made mistakes to get in here, chief. But we've paid our due. Enough that we would rather hit the road than go back to living in that cell block."

Rick stared him down for a moment, then turned back to Daryl for his input. After he gave a minute shake of his head, he turned to Faye. She raised her shoulders up, and down slightly, to convey that she wasn't sure. Rick sighed and put his hands on his hips.

 

Daryl returned from locking the two men in the entry gate and joined in on the meeting behind the truck. "Are you serious?" Rick was asking T-Dog incredulously. "You want them sleeping in the cell block next to you?"

"It's better with us than somewhere we can't watch them." Faye stated firmly from where she leaned on the bus with her arms crossed. "We keep them separated and unarmed, with someone at all times. That way we know they aren't trying to kill us."

Glenn shook his head, "You wanna be the one following them around all the time? Sleeping with one eye open?"

"I never stopped." T-Dog crossed his arms loosely. "Bring them into the fold. We send them out we might as well just execute them ourselves. And the last time we had a discussion about killing someone or not, we got a new group member." He motioned to Faye, who looked surprised.

"Wait, you were going to execute me?" Only Rick was able to meet her eyes.

"You proved yourself by saving my boy and pointing us to the barn. We got lucky with you, but not everybody just wants to do the right thing anymore."

Glenn nodded, agreeing. "And Axel seems a little unstable."

"After all we've been through?" Carol chimed in. "All we've worked for, what if they just decide to take it?"

"It's only been us for so long. I don't..." Maggie sighed, "It feels weird having these new people around."

"You took US in." T-Dog pointed out.

"You showed up on our doorstep with a shot boy in your arms. It's not like we had much of a choice."

"At least give them a chance." Faye pleaded. "They're in for what, drugs and breaking and entering?" She looked to Daryl for clarification and he nodded. "They've never killed people, as far as we know."

"They may actually have less blood on their hands then we do." T-Dog agreed with her.

"They're convicts, bottom line." Carol said.

Faye shook her head and sighed, "So am I. You still trust me, don't you? Why am I any different?"

"You were in with the mob, didn't have much of a choice." Maggie waved her off, but she shook her head.

"No, this was before I came to America. I was caught in an armed robbery." She shifted awkwardly and stared at the ground. "When they found out I was bi the cops tried to turn me over to a gang of homophobes. They would have killed me, so I left." She looked back up, "These guys are just trying to leave it behind, like I did. We all had to leave a lot behind us when the turn happened, but for them, it's still new, and they have to deal with their friend's bodies in their cell block. We can at least hear them out."

Daryl nodded and took attention from Faye's confession, something he already knew and had time to accept. "I get guys like this. Hell, I grew up with them. They're degenerates but they ain't psychos. I coulda' been in there with them just as easily as I'm out here with you guys."

T-Dog nodded, "So you're with us?" Faye looked up hopefully, and he turned his eyes away in a flash of guilt, so she had her answer before he spoke.

"Nah. Let 'em take their chances out on the road, like we did."

T-Dog started to protest, but Rick interrupted, "When I was a rookie I arrested this kid. Nineteen years old, wanted for stabbing his girlfriend. Blubbered like a baby during the interrogation and the trial. The kid suckered the jury and got acquitted due to insufficient evidence. Two weeks later, he shot another girl."

Faye looked down and wrinkled her brow, wondering what the word "acquitted" meant but unwilling to interrupt and ask. To anyone else, she looked contemplative.

"We've been through too much." He continued firmly. "Our deal with them stands."

They slowly dispersed back to continue loading the bodies, until it was just Faye and Daryl left. T-Dog glanced between them, recognized that they needed a moment, then left with a pat to Faye's shoulder. When they were alone, Faye kept her gaze down and rubbed at her lip with the side of her finger. Daryl traced constellations over the freckles and scars on her shoulders and up her neck.

It was a solid five seconds before Faye spoke, "You know...as easy as it is for me, I never enjoy killing someone. Not even Dimitri and them. Even men that tried to attack me, rape me, kill me; I never like doing it." She finally looked up at him and reached forward to take his thumbnail from his teeth and hold both his hands between them. He hadn't even realized he lifted his hand. "I understand that it's not just me anymore, and that we have to think of the best for the group, but I see myself in them too much."

"You ain't them." He stepped closer to her, so they were inches apart. "You want to do the right thing, all the time. But Faye, there is no right answer here. You gotta understand that."

Her steel gray eyes stared into his dark green ones. He was silently pleading with her to not do something she may regret. Things were different now. They were more dangerous, and they were trying to find a point of peace in their new home. Bringing strangers in was risky, and with a baby on the way, they couldn't risk anything.

At last Faye nodded. "I'll let you handle this, then. I don't like it, but I trust you. I'm not going to fight for this and loose any love from my family." She stared off towards the building, and Daryl kept his eyes on her profile. "We worked too hard to lose anything for something as trivial as compassion."

He shook his head, "Compassion ain't a weakness, Faye."

She turned and met his eyes again. "Then promise me you'll at least give them a chance, if you kick them out. Please?"

He found himself nodding before he knew how he would convince Rick. "I'll get 'em a weeks worth of food if they leave."

She smiled and leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek. "Thank you, Caxap." She pulled back and slipped her hands from his. While she backed towards the field to sort through the bodies, she said in her familiar teasing tone, "But don't think I'm flirting with you just for them, okay?"

He scoffed and turned back to the group, but had to school his features to stop the boyish grin wanting to cover his face to avoid any questions from the others.

 

Faye's attention was drawn to the prison yard when she heard Glenn's excited yell. She set down the body she was dragging into the growing pile and held up a gloved hand to block the sunlight so she could see what the fuss was about. Hershel was walking on crutches with Lori, Beth, and Carl's help, and everyone was smiling. Even though she was further down the hill in the field, she could just make out their forms through the glare.

She grinned at the sight. To know that everyone could still take moments like this to breathe and be grateful for all they had, and still find the energy to smile genuinely was a huge relief and motivator. The joy from this moment would take them far, she could tell.

But this world treated good things like chewing tobacco.

Faye's grin dropped and turned to a look of horror when she saw the hoard of walkers shambling towards the vulnerable people. "CARL!" She yelled and started to sprint to the gate. The boy looked confused at her outburst, but looked around and saw the approaching threat.

"Walkers! Look out!" He raised his gun to defend against them.

Distantly, Faye heard the men on the fence yelling and running to help as well, but she was closer. The fence in her way could prove an obstacle, but it would get her there faster. Gunshots were ringing in her ears, and her legs were already burning from her uphill run, but she still launched herself through the air to stick against the fence like a bug. She started to claw her way up, feet slipping and fingers aching, but once she got to the razor wire border, she was able to push it down with her gloved hands, unharmed. She pushed her legs over, and swung over the side into the yard.

She landed hard, and had to tuck and roll with the impact, but she was up and drawing her axes in no time. She heard doors slamming and less and less gunshots, and could only hope that it meant people were escaping back into the prison. People were yelling to move and run and she heard one scream of pain, but couldn't determine who it was.

Sweat dripped into her eyes, the salt made them water and blur, but the fury and fighting instinct overwhelming her had turned her into a savage, mercilessly cutting and hacking through the dead, until there were less standing, and her arms felt like jelly.

The yard was decimated, and she could hear the gate lock jingling behind her, but she ignored that and ran to where Beth and Hershel had locked themselves into a small doorway. "Where did they go?!" She demanded of the blonde, then chucked one ax into the head of an approaching walker getting a little too close.

"Lori, Carl, and Maggie went back to C Block, T was bit and Carol took him in there." She pointed to a small door. The two of them seemed okay, just a little shaken.

Daryl yelled from where Rick was struggling with the lock, "Faye, stay put!" But she knew that every second wasted was another moment that they could be dead. So she cast an apologetic look at the redneck and yanked her ax free before she ran through the door after T and Carol.

'Damn that woman...' Daryl thought. 'Almost as stubborn as me.'

 

Faye was stuck at a three way pass when the alarms started. She had been tracking Carol and T-Dog but lost the trail when she got deterred by a group of walkers. When the alarms began, she was forced to choose the path to her left as the others became blocked by frantic walkers, excited by the blaring and flashing red lights.

She would sprint, stop to catch her breath, have to kill walkers, and then sprint again. Her journey through the tunnels was becoming less of a rescue mission and more of a need for a rescue mission. She was just catching her breath when the alarms stopped, plunging her into a quiet she never thought she would hear again.

There was still a quieter sound coming from up the halls a ways, a sound so chillingly familiar she had to take a deep breath before going any further to investigate. Muffled groans and smacking lips, paired with the sound of tearing flesh and wet squishing. Someone had gone down.

The closer she got, the mustier the air became with the smell of rotting flesh and fresh gore. She pulled her blue bandanna up and around her nose and mouth to block as much of it as possible. With her weapons back in hand, she stalked around the corner.

It was too dark to recognize who the bloody mass was, but it was definitely human, and long dead. Two walkers were bent over the chest and stomach, tearing into what was left. Faye gagged at the smell, and moved to cut the monsters down. The anticipation to find out which family member was torn from their lives was becoming too much.

When the walkers were down, she knelt at the head of the body, and recognized T-Dog's dark brown eyes. There was hardly anything of him left, besides those eyes and his crooked teeth that always smiled when she most needed it. She felt her eyes well up, and a few tears slipped past her defenses too quickly to stop them. The thought of never seeing that smile again tore a part of her heart away, never to be returned.

With a shaky breath, she set down her bloody hatchets, and pulled the little blue pocket knife from her boot. She flipped open the short blade, just long enough to do the trick. Before she ended the possibility of him coming back, she pressed his eyes closed, and leaned down to whisper in his ear, "Thank you Theodore. You were a great friend and brother." She pressed her covered cheek to his blood spattered forehead, and plunged the blade into the back of his head in the same instant.

After a few more moments of honored silence for him, she stood and wiped his blood on her own pants. A familiar scrap of fabric caught her eye, and she bent to pick it up after flipping the blade closed again. She recognized it as Carol's head scarf, and looked up the dimly lit hallway it had fallen towards.

"You were probably trying to get her back to C Block, huh T?" She mumbled thoughtlessly, and tucked the scarf into her belt to dangle. She took a short moment to use her foot to smear some of the walker blood into an arrow pointing down the hall before following as well.

 

When Daryl saw the bloody red outline of a fresh body, he could only think, 'God, please don't let it be Faye.' The fact that they hadn't found any of the others yet was making him sick to his stomach, and the fact that Faye had gone in alone did not help his anxiety.

Now, as they stared down at T-Dog's body, he felt a flash of relief, then guilt. He was glad it wasn't Faye, but he never wanted it to be T-Dog. He never wanted any of them to die like this.

The walkers around him were already dead, two prisoners with their rotting skulls split open with a wedge. "Faye was here." Rick said quietly, telling that he recognized the shape of the fatal blow as well.

Glenn pointed across the floor, "Look." There was a black arrow of crusty walker blood painted on the ground. It was dry, and curling up at the edges, telling that it had been there for a while. It pointed up the halls, towards C Block and back to the yard.

"Let's go." Daryl ordered and led the way back to the yard. 'You'd better be out there, Sweet Thang.' He held on to the thought of her being outside, waiting next to Beth and Hershel. She would smile and say that they were okay, that T-Dog had died before he was torn into, that Lori and Carl were back in the cell block resting, and that everything was mostly fine.

His fantasy was crushed when he heard the baby wailing.

 

Faye really should have expected to be attacked when she first found Carol. She was so covered in guts and blood, and with half her face covered she looked like a mugger. But luckily, she managed to grab her wrist before she could stab her and see Carol's face before she broke it.

She sighed in relief, "Христос, Carol!" She dropped her hand and pulled her into a hug, "I've been looking for hours! Are you hurt?" She started to look her over, but the older woman bat her hands away.

"I'm fine. But T..." she bit her lip as her eyes welled up.

Faye nodded, "I know. I saw. I put him down." She glanced behind her when the sound of groaning and shuffling feet reached them. "But we have to go, now!"

She grabbed her hand and pulled her back through the tunnels. They kept weaving through the halls, dodging and avoiding the dead until they found themselves trapped in the solitary confinement Block. They fought back to back for a bit, until there was a lapse in the wave of corpses.

Before they could overtake the women again, Faye made a split second decision. She shoved the smaller woman back into an empty cell, and pushed the door to where it was closed, but not latched. She kicked a body in front of it, so she couldn't get out, and walkers couldn't get in.

"I'm sorry, Carol! I'll come back!" Faye yelled through the door and faced the dead. "HEY! OVER HERE! придет за мной, MOTHERFUCKERS!" As their attention turned to her, she backed out of the Block, swinging her hatchets and screaming at them the whole way.

Glenn froze on his way back to C Block. He heard screaming and groans from somewhere in the block. There was too much echoing to determine where it came from, but he could tell the screams were feminine.

 

"Oh, God..." He muttered. Faye and Carol were still in the tombs. He had assumed they would get out, but it sounded like somebody was dying right now. The screams stopped, and the groaning got quieter. One, or both, had just gone down.

How would he tell the others what he had just heard?

 

With arms like lead, throbbing with every pump of her heart, Faye finally cut down the last of the group of walkers. She had adopted a method of killing two or three, then darting back into the tunnels to loop around to the back of the group so she could hit them with their backs turned. It was exhausting, and the close proximity of the cells trapped the smell of rot against the fabric covering her mouth. The light was deep yellow and slanted, telling that it was late evening.

When the last one finally went down, Faye dropped to her knees and let her arms hang. The floor around her was littered with rotting bodies, with hardly any of the floor visible and most smeared with black blood. She had to take a moment to get her breathing back under control, but once she was sure she wasn't going to suffocate, she called softly to the surrounding cells, "...Carol? It's safe." She grunted while climbing to her feet. "Where are you?"

A soft rap came from one of the blocked doors, so Faye picked her way between the bodies towards it. It took way longer than it should have, but she pulled the bodies in front of the door clear so Carol could leave.

The woman shoved her way out of the cell, knife up and ready to attack, but fell short when she saw that the only one left standing was Faye. She exhaled a sigh of relief, then looked the woman up and down, "Are you okay? Did you get bit? Scratched?"

Faye shook her head, "No, just sore. I'll be fine."

"Good." Faye's head whipped to the left with the force of her slap. She could tell it was meant more as a reprimand than punishment, just enough to sting but not enough to hurt. "What the hell was that?!" Carol started tearing into her, "I could have helped! You know I could've, but you locked me away! You could have died, Faye! What do you think we'd do if we lost you, huh?!"

Faye rubbed her cheek and pulled the bandanna down. The gore was splattered only over her eyes and forehead, so it looked like she was wearing a mask over her eyes. "I wanted to protect you." She said softly, "If one of us had to walk away from this, I wanted it to be you. I'm sorry, Carol. I know that must have been stressful..."

Carol gave a dry laugh, "Stressful?! Oh, you don't even know how-" She cut herself off when she saw Faye's cocked eyebrow and sly look. "Okay, maybe you do. But you can't do that! Ever! I mean it."

Faye nodded, "I promise I won't. You'll just slap the walkers to death." She pouted and rubbed her cheek.

Carol rolled her eyes, "You deserved that. And I've seen you bounce back from a hit to the nose like it was nothing. I knew you'd be fine." All the same she still inspected that side of her face, "Did I hurt you though? I was really upset and I didn't mean for it to hurt."

Faye shot her a reassuring smile, "I'm fine. Let's go. After this I'm going to-" She froze mid sentence at a sound traveling through the now silent prison. Carol paused a moment, then heard it too.

A baby's wails called to the women from down the halls, loud and demanding. Faye swallowed hard at the noise, and started to slowly move towards it, as if in a trance. Carol took her arm and walked close behind, clearly the more aware of the two.

The sound pulled them down unfamiliar halls, until Faye was able to look around and recognize where they were. She took Carol's hand and pulled her down quicker. The baby stopped crying, but they were close enough to see Glenn's white arrows on the wall. It was another few minutes, but they were making he their way back home.

 

"Oh, shhh..." Daryl cooed at the newborn while he took her from Carl. He cradled her tiny head in his palm and pulled her as close as possible. She started to quiet a bit when she felt the warmth radiating from him. He took the prepared bottle from Beth and pressed the nipple to the baby's little mouth. She immediately quiet and latched on to begin feeding.

Daryl grinned at the group, who sagged in relief when the cries finally stopped. "She got a name yet?" Daryl asked Carl.

He shook his head, "Not yet. But...I was thinking maybe Sophia." Daryl looked up in surprise, but he continued on. "But then there's Carol. Andrea. Amy. Jaqui. Patricia." He sighed and looked down. "Faye... Maybe Lori. I don't know."

The group was somber and downcast at the mention of all the women they'd lost. Daryl glanced around, looking confused, "What do you mean "Faye"? She ain't back yet?" He looked slightly panicked.

Glenn rubbed the back of his head and stepped up. "I was in the tombs, earlier. I didn't see it, but I heard walkers. There must have been at least a dozen." He took a breath in and looked down. "A woman was screaming, and when they stopped, so did some of the walkers. They went down, Daryl, I'm so sorry."

Daryl narrowed his eyes, "But you didn't see anything?"

Glenn shook his head, "But I heard enough to know that someone was surrounded. Daryl, they're not in there."

Daryl ignored him and passed off the baby to Maggie, who looked shattered at the news that her best friend had perished. The redneck ignored their protests and grabbed his crossbow back from the table. He barely had a grip on the door leading into the tombs when a body slammed against it.

Everyone jumped to guard the infant, and Daryl raised his weapon between the bars to aim at the head. The body groaned and raised their head, and he met Carol's pale green eyes. He set his weapon down on the floor quickly and fumbled for the keys.

"Damnit, Carol, did you trip?" A familiar accented voice called from behind her and Faye came into view up the hallway. They both looked like walkers with how covered in gore they were, but they were both grinning and very much alive.

Daryl threw the door open at last and swept Carol into his arms in a bear hug. He could hear people behind him celebrating their return, and released Carol into their attention. Faye had approached Oscar and Axel while Daryl was distracted, and had Oscar in a determined look. They stared each other down for a second, then, Faye held out her hand. He took it, and they shook.

"Should you do anything to hurt anyone here, I will break your neck with my thighs." Axel laughed, but quiet down when he saw she wasn't joking.

Faye released his hand and stepped back smiling. "But that won't be a problem so long as you don't do anything stupid."

Daryl tackled her from behind in a hug and spun her a bit, "Damn Tinker Bell, Chinaman was saying that he heard you die! Was about to go hunting for your corpse." He set her down and she was able to see the worry in his eyes.

"We're okay. Not bit." She smiled reassuringly, and he sighed in relief. Faye looked around a bit and frowned a little. "Is Rick with Lori?" She whispered to Daryl so no one else could hear.

Daryl looked away and used another hug as an excuse to whisper in her ear, "Lori didn't make it. Rick, he..." He paused, "He snapped. Went into the tombs and hasn't come out yet."

Faye bit her lip and tucked her face into his chest. He held her there and let her get a hold of herself while everyone respectfully turned away. Her breathing evened out, and she was able to pull her face away from him.

The baby started crying again, and Maggie approached Daryl with the infant. Faye stepped back as she handed the baby off to the hunter, and was amazed to see that she had stopped crying as soon as she was passed off. Daryl smiled down at her and held her bottle a little higher as she drained it.

Faye's smile fell and she assumed a more dumbfounded look. Daryl was so good with her, and he looked so happy. They wanted to be together, just had to talk about it. Being together in the apocalypse practically meant marriage. What if he wanted a baby further down the line? She would do anything for him, but she couldn't physically carry a baby. She never saw it as a problem before, just another traumatizing moment in her back story, but now it mattered. Possibly a lot. Oh no, this wouldn't work at all.

He grinned down at her and said fondly, "You like that? Huh? Little Asskicker?"

That drew a smile out of everyone, and even yanked Faye from her self depreciating thoughts and turned her mouth up. Daryl glanced at her face, then down at the baby. "You want to hold her?" He held her out.

Faye held up her hands and stepped back, "Oh, uhm no. I'm all..." she gestured to herself, "Guts-y. Don't want to get her dirty." Daryl noticed her discomfort, but graciously ignored it for the moment.

Axel started to walk back towards C Block, "Oscar and I will get the showers up and running again." And they left.

Faye dismissed herself as well, claiming that she needed to "clean up and lay down". Then she would have time to think about what to do.

After dunking her arms and head in a tub of rainwater outside, she stayed over the tub and let the bloody water drip back into the barrel. She focused on the ripples and the sound of the droplets.

Lori was gone, Rick was in the tombs losing his mind, Carl and his sister were motherless, T-Dog was dead, she was tired. So tired. But she had to do something, anything, to distract herself from these thoughts. She shook her head out like a dog, and splashed more onto her face and neck.

The washing only reminded her of T-Dog complaining about getting damp from her shaking her hair like that, mere days ago. God, it felt like years.

She wouldn't be able to go around that baby without breaking down for a while. Not just because of Nikita, but because for now, it was a reminder of this awful, awful day. She wouldn't be able to see that baby without seeing her own daughter, Lori, T-Dog, Rick, and the desire to be able to give Daryl something similar.

She wasn't broken, but she did feel a misplaced shred of guilt. She wasn't at fault for anything, her sterilization, Lori or T-Dog's death, or making Daryl worry about her in the cells. But she wanted something she couldn't place, and felt empty because of it.

She was getting cold, so with one last shake, she headed back inside. Daryl was still with Judith, and Maggie and Glenn were on watch. She could hear Axel and Oscar clanking with the pipes up the hall, and was grateful that she could still hear them working so they knew if the prisoners were doing anything suspicious.

At the top of the stairs, Faye paused. Her and Daryl's mattresses were still there, looking slept in and messy. If Daryl wanted kids, he couldn't be with her. It would be stupid to continue sleeping with him, even if it was just platonic.

She gripped the corners and exhausted her arms further by dragging it over the landing and into an empty cell, far enough down the row that Daryl couldn't see her from where he slept. As soon as she got the bed set up, she headed back out to grab her pack and clothes.

Daryl was already standing next to his mattress, looking confused and a little hurt. Faye avoided his gaze and kept her eyes firmly on the ground while she picked up her stuff. They didn't say anything, he just watched her remove any evidence that she was there and head back to her new room.

He bit at his lip, wondering if he should go and demand why she was avoiding him suddenly, but decided to let her be as frustration overtook him. To just pack up and leave after everything that happened today, that was a dick move. The fact that he felt upset over it just made him angrier. They were supposed to talk things out today, and he got that they didn't have the chance, but sleeping beside her was how he relaxed now. When she wasn't there, he barely slept, if at all, and never comfortably. He had been actually looking forward to recharging with her.

"Bitch..." He mumbled quietly and laid down on his back. He felt guilty at the slang immediately after he said it, and also whispered out a "sorry..." into the silent air. But then he just felt ridiculous and draped an arm over his eyes to try and lay still long enough for sleep to overcome him.

Faye wasn't laying down, instead had her hands folded behind her head with her head between her knees. She was stretching, aka using it as an excuse to not sleep. She looked up when a shadow stretched on the floor beneath her, and met Carl's deep brown eyes.

She held her hand out to him, and he took it so she could gently pull him to sit next to her. He went willingly, avoiding her eyes, and kept a hold on her hand while he leaned against her chest. She took his hat off and set it on the floor so she could wrap both arms around his shoulders and guide him to lay down at her side.

When they were fully laying down, Faye pressed her lips to his temple. That seemed to finally break him, as his breathing got ragged and she felt damp spots on her collarbone. Her own eyes dripped salty tears down the sides of her eyes and back into her hair, but she stayed as still and quiet as possible for his sake. She rubbed over his back and combed through his hair until he finally fell still with sleep. Faye was not far behind.


	16. Which Bitch

The silence was comforting, in a way. Everyone was gathered up for a breakfast of stale oatmeal and water, all looking somber and crestfallen. Faye sat next to Carl, and had to keep nudging him to get him to take bites of his food. Daryl kept glancing at her from his spot on the staircase, then looking away quickly when she tried to meet his eyes. Faye knew the tension was there, but now wasn't the time to talk about it, and she knew he wouldn't bring it up in public.

"Everybody okay?"

Most shot a few feet in the air, and some reached for their weapons at the deep voice. They relaxed physically, but braced for a breakdown when they saw it was Rick.

"Yeah, we are." Maggie answered.

Rick pushed open the door and slowly walked into the commissary. He looked cleaner than would be expected of someone who spent all that time in the tombs, so he must have cleaned up and changed before he joined them.

"How are you?" Hershel asked him.

Rick avoided a real answer. "I cleared out the boiler block."

Daryl asked softly, "How many were there?"

"A dozen, two dozen. I have to get back. I just wanted to check on Carl." He pat his son's shoulder awkwardly, and Carl kept his eyes down. He looked at Faye sitting next to him, "Thanks."

Faye nodded.

Glenn stood up and called after him when he started moving back, "Rick, we can clear out the bodies. You don't have to."

Rick moved back in, but he still denied letting everyone else do it. While he spoke to Daryl and Glenn about supplies, Faye turned her head down to see Carl's face. "I'm going with Maggie and Glenn today. Daryl will stay with you, okay? He's clearing out what's left of Solitary." Carl gave a small nod and leaned forward on his elbows. Faye didn't touch him, just let him be.

Rick went back into the tombs.

It was quiet again until Faye stood up and started taking everyone's dishes. "Alright, besides the necessities, I am taking requests. If anyone needs anything, speak now or forever hold your peace."

"Any kind of plumbing tools." Oscar requested. "Could make construction go quicker."

Faye nodded while she dunked the dishes, "Anything else?"

"Toys? Books?" Beth hefted the baby in her arms. "Could be good for her to keep distracted."

"And if we're getting showers, we'll need towels." Carol offered.

"Consider it done. Let's see, what else..." Faye started to list off, "Towels, toys, books, tools. Cigarettes, alcohol, any candy, oh!" She turned to back to the group from the sink, "What is her animal?"

Everyone looked confused.

"You know how babies will have a stuffed animal or a theme that their room is decorated after? It's a weird American thing...?" She waved her hand and gestured for someone to speak.

"...Bumblebees." Carl said softly. "Mom said it felt like an angry beehive whenever she would kick." His mouth twitched up at the memory.

Faye smiled, "Bumblebees it is, then." The smile fell when Daryl stood up and opened his mouth to talk to her. "I'll get the cars prepped." She blurted. Before anyone could stop her, she rushed out of the Block and out the door.

Daryl huffed in irritation.

 

Glenn drove them into town in the red station wagon, while Faye fiddled with Beth's silver gun in he backseat. The blonde had insisted on taking it with her, just in case. The first shop on their list was to a small convenience store in an apartment town, surrounded by a quiet area that hopefully wouldn't have many walkers.

Faye definitely felt guilty for cutting and running before Daryl could even get a word out at breakfast. She must have looked like a deer in headlights before she ran out of there. She clenched the handle of the gun tightly. She would talk to him, explain why she's acting weird, why he didn't do anything wrong, and how she's been feeling. She made a mental note to keep an eye out for any peace offerings while they were scavenging.

They pulled up parallel to the store around noon, and were careful about the volume of the slamming doors. Maggie checked the perimeter, while Glenn grabbed an empty bag and flashlights. Faye sheathed her weapons and got the bolt cutters to break the chain on the doors.

"All clear." Maggie announced and headed back to Glenn. Faye gave them their privacy and turned to the lock with the flashlight in her mouth. When the chains fell from the handles and slithered to the sidewalk, Faye leaned the cutters against the window. She brandished one hatchet and yanked the door open, only to be blown back on her ass by a swarm of bats searching for the source of light.

Glenn and Maggie jumped, then laughed at Faye's position. The Russian sat back, eyebrows furrowed. She glared at the couple, but it didn't hold as much expression with the flashlight hanging from her mouth. Grumbling Russian profanities, she stood up again and moved into the store, ready to clear but not expecting any threats. The dust was too settled for anything to be breathing in here.

She grinned when she got to the baby formula section. It looked like it hadn't been touched, and the canned food section made her mouth water. There was fruit, veggies, beans, meat...this was God's reward for sacking up and thinking her emotions over. She started to shove everything she could into her pack, and handed the full bag off to Glenn to load. He was already carrying a red shopping basket full of formula that he found left over on the shelves.

He grinned and handed her the empty bag to keep filling while he put the full one in the car. Faye wandered through the rest of the store, and found a few blankets, baby shampoo, and toys. She saw a stuffed bee, advertised as being from some kids cartoon, and cut the box around it open with the edge of her ax. She carried that separately and kept moving down the aisles. She found Carol's towels, Oscar's toolbox, and Daryl's cigarettes.

She almost headed out with the second bag when she saw the liquor aisle. The bottles were practically labeled "Peace Offering" in big red letters. There were only a few that she knew he would like, and eventually settled on a liter bottle of Angel's Envy hard whiskey.

She was just about out of the door when a vaguely familiar voice snapped, "And where is it ya'll good people are callin' home?"

Maggie dropped the shopping basket she was holding and raised her gun at whoever was calling to them. Glenn sided up to her.

He blinked in disbelief, "Merle?!"

Faye stayed out of sight in the store, and set down her bag and the stuffed bee in the entryway before stepping out and joining them, gun up.

Merle was laughing and walking towards them with his hands...hand, raised in clear surrender. "Stop. Right there." Faye ordered.

Merle blinked at her and looked a little caught off guard, "Do we know each other, honey? We ever get down and dirty in the past?" He covered up his confusion with a smirk.

"If you're the Merle I'm thinking of, the closest we ever got physically was when I broke your nose." Faye kept her tone as level as her aim.

His face flashed in recognition, and bent into a scowl, "Oh yeah. Now I remember."

Faye shrugged a little, "Just thought I'd make some improvements, but nope. Still ugly as shit."

"Faye." Maggie hissed in warning. She quiet down immediately.

"You tell me, is my brother alive?" He asked sincerely.

Glenn pursed his lips, "Yes."

Merle gave a yellow toothed grin. "Hey, you take me to him, I'll call it even on everything that happened back there in Atlanta. No hard feelings, huh?"

"No." Faye answered immediately.

"Sounds to me like you ain't in charge here, Missy!" Merle taunted, then caught Glenn staring at his metal brace over his amputated arm. "Oh," He chuckled. "You like that? I found me a medical supply warehouse, fixed it up myself."

"You wait here. Daryl will come meet you." Glenn said firmly.

"Whoa, whoa now. Hold up." Merle started to step towards them, so Faye stepped closer, gun clearly aimed at his head. He stopped again and glanced at the weapon warily. "Come on now. You can trust me."

Faye narrowed her eyes. Glenn said again, "You trust us. You stay here."

Merle glanced between them and gave a light chuckle. In the next instant he was drawing a gun from behind his belt and swiping it up to aim at them, but Faye reacted too quickly.

"DOWN!" She ordered Glenn and Maggie before she stepped into the line of fire and pushed the weapon down as it went off. The bullet tore into her hip and made her scream at the white hot flash, and she would have fallen on her pulsing leg if Merle hadn't spun her around and wrapped his left arm around her waist to hold her up. He tore the gun from her grip while she was distracted and tossed it back towards the store. She had to grip the metal of his arm to keep herself from falling onto his blade. He pressed the gun to the side of her head.

She had no choice but to try and stay up and keep as still as possible. Dropping to give Maggie and Glenn a clear shot would dump her right on the knife, and trying to avoid the knife would get her a bullet.

"Let her go!" Maggie demanded.

Merle shook his head and pressed the edge of his blade against Faye's ribs. "Yeah, don't think so. How about ya'll put those guns in the car. Just drop 'em in."

Maggie and Glenn glanced at each other in silent agreement, then slowly put the guns in the open trunk of the car. Maggie's fists were clenching and unclenching in contained rage. Merle gestured to Glenn, "Get in the car. You're driving."

Faye growled against his arm and grit out through clenched teeth, "We're not taking you back to our camp." Her accent was slipping through as the pain became more demanding.

Merle started shoving her forward to limp towards the back seats. "Nah, we're going somewhere else. Get in the car, Glenn! Or I put another bullet in her!" He pressed the barrel harder against her temple.

Glenn looked absolutely enraged, but slowly moved around the vehicle towards the driver's side. He gestured to Maggie to go around the passenger's side, and they loaded up. Merle pulled the trunk closed, and Faye tried to escape, but he yanked her back and pressed the knife harder against her stomach.

"Ah ah ah, little Missy." He pushed her across the back seat and closed the door behind them. "Wouldn't want to give a bullet to Peaches, up there."

Faye tensed and sat still at the threat. Any threat to Maggie or Glenn was too drastic to call a bluff on.

Once he gave him a set of directions, he shoved his gun back in its holster and turned towards Faye in his seat. "That bullet's still in your hip, yeah?" He kept his weaponized arm pointed at her, but reached into the back to grab a washcloth. "Here, I'll get it out."

Faye drew back and struggled to shift away from him. "No." She growled. "Don't you touch me."

Merle narrowed his eyes, "I'm trying to help!" Faye snatched the cloth from his hand, and didn't say anything else.

She unzipped her jeans and pushed the waistline down to expose the wound, not as bloody with the bullet visibly lodged in bone and muscle. She pushed the cloth down over it, and tried to contain a whimper. "Maggie, talk me through it!" She pleaded to the front seat.

Merle was watching, gobsmacked, as she tended to her own wound. He knew how painful it was to take a bullet from such close range, and to see this tiny woman digging her fingers into the wound surprised him. He didn't even comment on her exposed skin, he was so entranced.

"Okay," Maggie spun in her seat to see what she was doing, "Have the cloth ready to apply pressure, and press around the wound to draw it out as much as you can." Faye bit her lip so hard it shook while she did as she was told. "You'll have to twist it out, to release any suction on the bone. Get a good grip."

This time, Faye did cry out at the pain, and her hands were shaking so hard she couldn't grip it properly. It was bleeding more now, too, so the metal slipped. "You do it, please?" She asked Maggie in a whimper. The brunette nodded and looked a little nervous to be putting her hands anywhere near the wound, but reached back all the same.

"Glenn keep it steady, I'm doing surgery," she instructed. Glenn paled and looked nervous, but kept his eyes forward.

Maggie dug into the torn back skin, split and stretched to expose a solid square inch of muscle, and gripped the intruder. Faye brought the cloth up to her mouth to bite against her groan and her leg gave an instinctual kick against Glenn's seat. Maggie twisted it out and tossed the bullet aside before lunging for the cloth and pressing it to the wound.

"Tell me you'll have some kind of medical care for her." Maggie snapped at Merle, who was leaning back, gun drawn again and looking amused and impressed. Faye tilted her head back, breathing heavily and straining at the prominent throb traveling up her whole leg. If she had nerve damage she was taking his last arm.

"Yeah, we'll get her a band-aid and a baby aspirin." He sneered. "You can ride it out for another hour, can't you, Missy?" He grinned at her.

She raised her middle finger and glared. He barked out a laugh and raised his leg onto the seat to get more comfortable.

Maggie let Faye take over keeping pressure on her thigh and looked to Merle seriously, "With something that open and deep, she could get an infection. She needs medicine and proper medical care."

"You know," He said sarcastically, "I bet you had that back at your camp, but you didn't want ol' Merle wandering around. So here we are."

Maggie glared at him and turned a softer expression back to Faye. She brushed her bangs off her sweaty forehead and checked her temperature, even though she knew it was too early in the wound process for illness to set in.

Faye caught her hand and squeezed it reassuringly, "Whatever happens, we can't tell them anything." She said softly.

Maggie nodded, jaw set, before Merle shoved her back to the front seat and told her to "quit the chit chat."

 

"Damn, who did all this?" Oscar pressed his wrist over his nose to try and block out the smell of the corpses littering the hallway. Each body's head was split in a wedge or had a knife wound through the eye.

"Do you think this was Dad?" Carl asked, sounding a little worried at the thought.

Daryl crouched next to a body and pushed its head to the side to inspect the wound. "Nah." He determined, "Best guess, the ones that look like this are Faye, and the knife wounds are Carol." He stood up and continued to pick over the bodies.

Oscar looked shocked, "Them? Faye's like five feet tall! And Carol seems so..." He waved his hand, looking for the word, "gentle. You mean to tell me all this was them?"

Carl nodded, "They're tough. She wasn't kidding about breaking your neck with her thighs."

Daryl snorted and they kept going down the halls.

They continued on until Oscar diverted into another cell, saying, "Oh yeah, that's what I'm talking about."

Carl and Daryl glanced at each other, and followed him in. He was picking up a pair of slippers, grinning like a kid.

"What the hell do you need a pair of slippers for?" Daryl asked him.

"For the end of the day. Relaxing." He stated like it was obvious.

'Oh, yeah,' Daryl thought, 'we might be able to do that now.' He wondered if Faye would want a pair, but then brushed the thought away. She had this weird thing against sharing shoes, something about not wanting to catch foot fungus or whatever.

Once again he was drawn back to how Faye had been acting since yesterday. He understood that the events of that day would make her upset, but she hadn't run away from any kind of emotional issues since the women had asked about her surgery scars. If anything, she'd started seeking out Daryl whenever she felt sad or down. Avoidance wasn't really her thing, as far as he could tell.

"Hey Daryl," Carl tugged on his vest to get his attention. "Do you think Beth would want this?" He held up a clean, folded wool blanket.

Daryl nodded, "Could be good for anyone. It might just go to the baby." He hefted up his bow and moved back into the hall. Carl tucked it under his arm and raised his gun to follow.

"You think Faye would want anything? As long as we're down here?" Oscar's question made Daryl stop in his tracks.

He turned back to him and let Carl take the lead, "Why do you care?" He didn't mean to sound so harsh, but he was feeling extremely possessive and ticked at the moment.

Oscar held up his hands in clear surrender, "Hey, man. Don't worry about me taking your girl, I get it. I just know that when my old lady put me in the doghouse a gift would usually help us talk it out."

Daryl flushed, "Yeah, well...I'll find something for her. Don't worry about it." It still sounded like a threat, but Oscar didn't look too worried.

When Daryl caught up to Carl, the boy offered a tiny smirk up at him, "So she's your girl, huh?"

"Shaddup."

 

When they arrived at the walled in community, Merle leaned out the window and waved his arm for the guards to see. The gate creaked open, and maybe Faye was losing blood, but she could've sworn that the street lights were glowing with electricity. As soon as Glenn stopped the car, the doors were thrown open and hands were yanking them out and to the ground.

Faye fell next to Glenn, and immediately fought against the hands holding her down. She twisted to scramble to her feet and hold up her fists, with her weight on her good leg.

Two lunged for her, and she hit a nose and a gut before someone came at her from behind. They attempted to pin her arms, but she swung her head back onto his face and he backed off after his nose crunched.

"Hey!"

Merle yelled from the side lines, and drew her attention to where he had his knife pressed to Maggie's throat. Faye glared his way and lowered her fists to her side. Two others approached her and yanked her arms up behind her. One took her belt with her hatchets and holster on it.

Merle sneered, "That's a good little Missy. Alright!" He pushed Maggie into another guy's arms. "Lock 'em up, and keep them quiet. I'll go report."

The three were whisked away, down some stairs leading into a building's basement, and out of sight. They were divided into three rooms, and as soon as Faye noticed that they were going to separate them she started to thrash again. She managed to bite a someone's finger and got bruises on her wrists from how hard she was struggling.

"Good lord, she's fucking feral!" The man behind her exclaimed as his partner shook out his bleeding finger.

Glenn managed to meet her eyes before he was shoved into a room at the end of the dim basement hallway. The men didn't follow Maggie into her room, just pushed her in, but Faye's guards did follow her in. There was nothing but a classroom chair in the center, and seeing their intention just made her fight harder.

"Fucking try it and I'll fucking kill you. You sick bastard cock sucking motherFUCKERS!" She growled while they wrestled her back into the seat.

One tried to push her arms down onto the armrests while the other tore off a long strip of duct tape. They got both arms down, and taped her ankles together as well, then stepped back to admire their work, out of breath.

"Congratulations," Faye snapped sarcastically, "You managed to tie up an injured five foot one woman. Run along and get your boss so I can recommend you for a medal."

They scoffed and left her alone. When they had gone, Faye called out softly, "Maggie...?"

"Faye? Yeah, I'm here!" Maggie pressed her ear against the wall separating their rooms. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. They tied me down so I can't get to my hip. Did they hurt you?"

"No," Maggie started pacing up and down the walls, "They just threw me in here. Did you see where they took Glenn?"

"Yeah, he should be in the room next to you. Can you hear him too?"

"Hold on," she ran to the other wall and tapped on it, "Glenn? You there?"

Glenn looked up from trying to escape his own bonds, "Maggie? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Did they hurt you?"

"No," Glenn looked around the room skeptically, "Not yet. So far they just have me tied to a chair." His tone dropped, "Listen Maggie, no matter what happens to me, you can't tell them about home. Promise me that whatever you hear, whatever they tell you, you won't tell them."

Maggie sniffed and her eyes welled up at what he was implying, "I-I don't know if I can..." she took a breath and said in a stronger voice, "I'll do my best. I love you, Glenn."

"I love you too."

Maggie pushed off of the wall and ran back to Faye's. "He's okay, for now. We can't tell them about home."

"I know. Maggie, we may not all get out of this-"

"No." She cut her off, "They'll come for us, I know it. We'll be okay."

Faye scoffed, "Well don't jinx it."

 

"Hear you bit Martinez." Merle stalked around Faye's chair slowly. "He needs stitches."

"Get him checked for rabies." Faye grinned sarcastically, "I've been told I'm savage."

Merle stopped in front of her seat and leaned closer to her face, "You wanna watch the attitude there, Missy? You ain't exactly in the best position to be making threats."

Faye leaned forward, glare and smirk in place, "I don't make threats, I make promises."

Merle chuckled before drawing back and leaning against the wall. He pulled a sharpening stone across his blade and said, "That was a dick move, telling me that my brother's alive and not telling me where he is." He held the blade up to the light.

"What can I say? I'm the biggest dick of them all." She snarked.

Merle stopped sharpening his knife and eyed her. "I think I liked it better when you didn't talk."

"But if I didn't talk, we wouldn't be having this lovely conversation." Faye grinned and tilted her head back to keep an eye on him.

"You weren't there when they chained me to that roof." He changed the subject. "How can you take their side? When they locked an innocent man onto a scorching rooftop?"

"Easy," Faye shrugged, "I don't blame them."

Merle held his hand over his chest, "So you blame good ol' Merle? Now, that hurts my feelings."

Faye gave a mock gasp, bitching all the way, "You have feelings?! Oh, boy oh, boy that changes everything."

Merle stopped in front of her, "You know," He ran the tip of his blade up her arm to her shoulder, then down her torso, over her chest towards her hip. "I think it's about time I cut that attitude down to size." He kept the blade hovering over the dried patch of blood on her hip. The threat to reopen the wound was clear.

But Faye kept her eyes on his face the entire time, never flinching or showing an ounce of fear. "You won't hurt me." She declared confidently.

Merle chuckled and rest the flat of the blade over the wound. It actually felt nice against the cold. "And why is that, honey?"

"Because Daryl would never lie to me. And he said that neither of you hurt women if you can help it."

That shocked Merle, and he withdrew the blade. "The hell do you know about my brother?" He demanded.

"As much as he's told me." She admit, "But we have told each other a lot this past year. He's doing well, don't worry." She almost sounded like she was soothing him, "He still bites at his thumb and is relatively quiet, but he's doing better with speaking up now. His hair is almost as long as mine. He won't let me cut it, even though it gets in his eyes."

The more she described Daryl, the more Merle seemed to relax. The fact that she could describe him at all meant he was still alive. "Where is he?"

"He kept your bike you know," she continued. "It's like his baby, he's always fixing it, or trying to. He probably would've ridden it to that store to meet you if you had agreed to wait for him there. But oh, well," she shrugged, "What's done is done."

Merle growled and rushed behind her to yank her hair back and press the blade to her throat. "Where. Is he?"

"He told me about your mom, too." Faye kept talking quieter now. "How she lived, and how she died. He said your parents had no business in having kids, but he's glad they did, because he was there, with us."

Merle dropped the blade from her neck, but kept her hair back. He stared off at the memories she knew about, and had to wonder who exactly this woman was to be trusted with such sensitive information.

"If you're going to kill me, I'd do it now." Faye said in a no nonsense, matter of fact tone. "I could come back to haunt you later."

Merle shook his head and backed off. He dragged a separate chair in front of her and straddled it backwards. "You gotta understand," He pleaded, "I just wanna see him. He's my brother."

"We offered you a way to him, Merle." Faye leaned back, "You didn't take it."

"We could welcome ya'll into this community. I can talk to the Governor."

Faye shook her head, "Not after what has already been done. But if you help the three of us escape, alive, we'll bring you back to the store. We'll do our original plan."

Merle sighed and ran a hand over his face, "It ain't that simple. Even if I wanted to, we couldn't just walk out."

She sighed and bit her lip in thought. "Fine. But when we do escape, and we will escape," she emphasized, "It would be in your best interest to be on our side."

Merle narrowed his eyes, "What do ya mean by that, Missy?"

Faye grinned, "Я закончил говорить." She leaned back against the chair.

Merle blinked, "...what?"

Faye repeat herself, and got the same reaction.

"What is that, Spanish?"

"Нет, это русский, ты невежественный трах."

"Stop that."

"Заставь меня."

"I mean it."

"Попробуй. Вы, наверное, думаете, что я говорю что-то важное."

Merle rubbed his forehead and groaned. "How does Daryl put up with you?!"

She grinned deviously. "Я держу его в тепле по ночам."

Merle scoffed and shook his head, "Crazy bitch." He left the room feeling irritated and impressed at how she handled her interrogation. He knew that she would break, though. He was too close to finding Daryl to stop now. He still felt remorseful for what he was about to do to her, though.

 

Carol paced through the commissary, baby in her arms dozing with the occasional whimper whenever the light hit her closed eyelids. It was quiet, and peaceful. Faye, Glenn, and Maggie would be back soon and they would all have dinner as a family, with Rick having come out of the tombs. Things were looking up.

The doors to the yard burst open with a loud slam, jolting the baby from her sleep and making her break out into wails. Rick rushed in with a black woman hanging limp over his shoulders. Carl followed close behind with a red shopping basket full of formula and set it down on a table before he ushered Carol back into the cells.

"Get Daryl." He ordered before drawing his gun and keeping guard over the woman.

As it so happened, Carol ran into the hunter as soon as she entered the block. He had his crossbow up and ready to investigate the commotion he heard in the block.

"What is it?" He demanded of the woman who was trying to desperately calm the baby.

"A woman," she explained. "Rick brought her in a second ago."

He rushed past her to see for himself, and stalked around the newcomer in case she tried anything. Rick was talking to her, and she kept her steely gaze on him, unwaveringly stubborn. The look reminded him of a certain Russian mobster that had yet to return. His gaze fell on the red basket on the table.

"Why do you have formula?" He asked cautiously. As he spoke, he slowly lowered his crossbow, to show that he wasn't threatening.

She still eyed him warily, and fought to sit up, "A couple of girls and an Asian guy dropped it." Her voice reminded him of smoke, hazy and thick, but telling of fire close by.

Rick glanced behind him at Daryl, then asked her, "We can fix your leg, give you some food and water, and send you on your way. But you have to tell us how you found us, and why you were carrying formula."

"I overheard them talking," her eyes were still jumping between Carl, Hershel, Daryl, and Rick. "They were taken."

"By who?" Carl kept his gun raised.

The stranger's eyes stayed on the teenager for longer before she answered. "The same son of a bitch who shot me. Shot one of the girls, too."

They were quiet at that new information. The thought of Maggie or Faye injured with some mysterious kidnapper made their blood run cold.

"Who was shot? Where?" Rick asked softly.

"The shorter one. He got her in the hip, so it's not fatal. But he dragged them off to his place."

Daryl growled lowly and raised his bow at her again, "Where. Are they." She met his eyes. "You don't start talking you're gonna have much bigger problems than a gunshot wound."

She glared back at him, "Find 'em yourself."

Rick shushed Daryl and pushed down his bow so he could talk to the woman. "Listen, these are our people. They're alone, and scared, and hurt. Now, you came here for a reason."

She looked away and thought it over. "There's a town." She surrendered, "Woodbury. About seventy five survivors. I think they were taken there."

That was a shock. "A whole town?"

"It's run by a man who calls himself the Governor. Pretty boy, charming, real Jim Jones type."

"He got muscle?"

"Paramilitary wannabes. There are sentries on every wall."

Rick sat back on his heels, "You know a way in?"

She sat up straighter, "The place is secure against walkers, but we could slip our way through." She sounded sure of herself.

Rick paused for a moment, trying to get a read off of her. "How'd you know how to get here?"

"They mentioned a prison, said which direction it was in, said it was a straight shot from there."

Rick nodded, "This is Hershel, the father of one of the girls. He'll take care of that." He gestured to her leg.

Daryl followed him out of the cell block to gather the others. Carl stayed back to guard Hershel while he worked on her.

When they were all gathered in the stairwell and updated on the situation, they started to formulate a plan.

"How do you know we can trust her?" Oscar said.

Beth shook her head and said firmly, "This is Glenn, Maggie, and Faye we're talking about. Why are we debating?"

"We ain't. I'll get them." Daryl put a hand on her shoulder in a semblance of comfort.

This place sounds pretty secure." Rick used his sheriff voice. "You can't go alone."

"I'll go." Oscar stepped up.

"Me too." Axel volunteered, a little more hesitantly.

Rick nodded, "Load up. Axel stay and keep guard. We leave as soon as Hershel's done."

Before they could disperse, Beth pulled Daryl back. "I'm sure she's okay." How was it that she always knew exactly what he was thinking of?

He scoffed, "She was fucking shot. I'm gonna hunt down the guy and tear him apart."

Beth nodded, "Just bring them back. Please."

She didn't know that Faye had told him that Beth saw Faye as a maternal figure, and with her sister and Glenn gone too, this had to be a stressful situation for her, too. "I will."

 

The Governor leaned over the hood of the car in the back lot, out of sight and earshot of any wandering civilians. "So you're sure they know Andrea?"

"I know he does. The other two I'm not sure." Merle answered. "I ain't never seen Peaches before and the pixie I ain't sure of. I never knew her but she had a thing for sneaking around the old camp at night."

"Well, what can we get out of her?" Martinez spoke up with his arms crossed. "If she doesn't know you maybe you can appeal to her."

Merle shook his head, "Nah she's a stubborn bitch that ain't afraid to die. Besides," He gave a dry chuckle, "I think her and my little brother have been getting real cozy over winter. She knows enough not to trust me."

The Governor nodded, "Maybe an unfamiliar face will loosen her lips a little. I'll take care of it."

As he walked back towards the entrance, Merle couldn't help but think about what his brother would say if he let the Governor take a shot at Faye. He had never gone far with interrogation against women, but Faye was a bitch, and the Governor had a short temper.

He'd give the boss ten minutes before he took over.

Faye looked up from trying to worm her wrist through the duct tape at the sound of her door opening. A man, tall, with thick dark hair and a warm smile entered.

He spoke with a southern drawl, "May I?" He motioned to the chair in front of her.

"No." Faye said, unimpressed.

He raised his eyebrows at her bluntness, already unwilling to trust him. He could tell this would be fun. "Too bad." He smiled and sat. "So, I hear you've been giving us problems."

"I sure hope so." She smirked, even though her eyes held insurmountable anger. "Tell me if my friends are okay."

She must have heard the commotion in Glenn's room when they unleashed the walker. The kid killed it in less than two minutes, despite being tied to a chair. "They will be," He stood up, "if you answer my questions. Now," He stepped behind her chair and gripped her shoulders, "Where is your group?"

His breath tickled her ear, so she whipped her head to the side and smacked her temple against his chin. He grunted and drew back, rubbing his jaw. He glared down at her and swung his arm up across her face. She made a small sound of surprise, but was turning back up to stare him down as soon as the slap hit.

He chuckled and leaned in front of her. "You know," He crooned while he ran his hands down her arms, "Merle doesn't touch women, but I have no problem with it."

She lunged forward and tried to bite his nose, but he was just out of reach. She growled in frustration at his smirk.

"Let's make a deal, tell me something, and I'll let you out of that tape." His voice was too smooth to be trusted.

"I won't tell you where they are."

"Oh I know," He laughed and ran his hands up her neck to tilt her head back and expose her throat. "I just want to know how you expect to escape. Surely you must realize that it's impossible." He ran his thumbs over her trachea tenderly.

She gulped and spoke with a shaky voice that she cursed herself for showing. "They'll come for us. And I'll kill you myself."

He hummed, and then shoved her back by her throat. She choked at the hit, and lost the breath in her lungs when she fell flat on her back. Her body was humming with adrenaline and the urge to fight, but she was still restrained. The movement made her leg throb, reminding her of the wound that had scabbed over about an hour ago.

_**-Trigger Warning (assault, attempted rape, torture)- (Basically she fights and is beaten. You can skip if you want, just know the Governor is #TheWorst.)** _

He kneeled next to her, and ran his eyes up and down her body like a predator. He stood, and left her there while he undid his belt, almost casually. He pulled all the holsters and pouches off the leather, and left them on his chair. He folded the belt over itself and shoved it down into her mouth as a bite.

He slowly drew one long knife, and dragged the tip down her stomach, over her scabbed over bullet wound. Since she hadn't been moving, it had closed up, but now, he dragged the tip of it over the surrounding bruise.

"If you're smart, you'll tell me what I want to know." He whispered with heavy breath, a tone Faye recognized as arousal.

Gross.

She shook her head. He dug the tip into the scab, cracking the cover and making hot blood gush. She gasped and clenched her teeth as he twisted it around the hole.

"Oh yes," He moaned, "We'll have lots of fun. I can tell."

He removed the knife and replaced it with his thumb, keeping a painful pressure over the opening. He sawed her hands and feet free, keeping her still by digging the digit in further every time she tried to resist.

When she was freed, he stepped back and let her roll to her feet. She struggled with it, stretching her hip and feeling dizzy from sitting down for too long. But she got up and took a stance against him. It would be difficult, but she still wanted to fight.

He inspected the blade, not seeing her as a threat for a moment. "I wonder how your friend would like to help me finish what we started in here. She seemed awfully...compliant." He grinned maliciously. "This could all stop. Just tell me where they are."

Faye spit the leather from her mouth and cracked her neck, "We're just getting started, dumbass." He wasn't going to touch Maggie. She would make sure of that.

His eyes lit up, "I was hoping you'd say that."

He stabbed the knife into the seat of her chair and advanced. She was ready for him, and took the first swing. She clipped him, but he still caught her wrist and yanked her towards him. She twisted her leg around his knee and dead legged him so he fell, but that brought her knees down next to him, and shot another bolt of pain up her leg and across her hip.

He rolled them so he was straddling her waist. He wrestled the t-shirt off her torso and pulled at her bra, but she brought her leg back with a yell and crushed his crotch with her heel.

He coughed and held the affected area, temporarily down, and Faye turned over to try and crawl out from under him. She didn't realize how big of a mistake that was until he grabbed her hair and slammed the side of her face into the dirt. She couldn't do anything from this position.

Everything came to a screeching halt, and her adrenaline crashed over her. She started breathing quicker and shaking in her exposed state. She knew what was coming, but then maybe not because she had hurt him. At this point, raping her would hurt him more than her.

She felt him lean over and grab the belt she dropped. The buckle clicked as he dragged it over, and he set it aside before tearing off her bra. He panted over her and growled, "You shouldn't have done that."

Maggie's hand flew to her mouth at the sound of leather cracking against skin. The inhuman scream that followed sent shivers down her spine. She dove out of her chair and pressed her ear to the wall to try and figure out exactly what was going on.

Another crack and screech was heard, and then she heard something that made her sick. A deep chuckling followed by a southern drawl taunting, "What's the matter? I thought we were just getting started?" He grunted at the end and another crack splintered through the air. This one was only followed by a pathetic choked whimper.

At the last whip, no noise responded.

The sound of the blows changed into a clinking, thudding sound, and Maggie realized what he was doing with a dry sob. He was whipping her with his belt, and now he was beating her with the buckle end. But she still wasn't responding.

The Governor stood over her body and panted. He felt a sense of pride at getting her to relent. She couldn't get up, because of him. He had felt this before, on the road, killing walkers and the occasional person that he'd crossed.

He took a knee next to her face, and brushed the hair away from her eyes, still open but not full of fight. "Where are they?" He asked one last time.

Faye braced herself, and took in a short gasp of air to breathe out, "Rot in hell."

The Governor scowled and stood with a jerk. He gathered his pouches and holsters with his belt and headed to the door.

_**(Torture over.)** _

As he was leaving, it looked like Merle had a fist raised to knock, but the Governor opened it before he could. He beamed, "Ah, Merle." He greeted. "Get her up and make sure she doesn't bleed out. I'll call for you when I'm done with the farm girl." He sauntered back up the stairs, hands and belt dripping blood onto the ground.

Merle stood in the doorway for a few moments, staring at the sight in front of him. Her face was turned away from him, but her bare back was in plain sight. The pale skin was torn in four gashes, marring the muscle and flesh beneath. Two points, one on her left shoulder blade and another on her lower right ribs, were already turning red in the horseshoe shape of a belt buckle.

"Aw Christ..." Merle cursed and closed the door behind him before diving to her side. Her chest was barely moving, and she was bleeding fast.

If this was Daryl's girl, he had just sold her to the devil.

Merle shrugged off his flannel and pressed it into a pad to stop the bleeding. She flinched and groaned when he pressed it to the majority of the gashes. "Shhh, 's alright. Just need to stop the bleeding."

A slow tapping from the wall next to them drew his attention, and he heard a hesitant voice call, "...Faye?" It must have been the farm girl. "Are you okay?"

He didn't reply. If she started to freak out because he was in there with her, her yelling could draw more guards that would kill Faye for sure. Instead he just listened to Maggie call out for her in between sobs, and kept the pad on her back. She stopped crying when the Governor opened her door.

He glanced down at her face, and was surprised to see her eyes open and glancing around in a haze. It was easier to sleep than endure the pain, he knew from experience, so he was only more impressed with her ability to stay awake.

His shirt soaked up a majority of the blood, and the strikes started to clot. He pulled the fabric off and tossed it aside.

He had to find his brother. And he wouldn't stop until he was with him again. But seeing Faye fight made him realize that maybe the Governor wasn't the only way he could find them.

"Alright, Missy," He murmured, "Here's what we're gonna do."


	17. South

Glenn was pacing through his room, searching for a weak point in the walls or an escape route. He wound the arm of the chair between his hands anxiously. He had heard screams from a ways down the hallway, and was just praying that Maggie was safe. He knew Faye would rather it be her taking a beating like that than Maggie, and that she would even ask for it if it meant others were safe.

But the screaming had stopped a few minutes ago. And he could only hear quiet sobbing from the cell next to him. Maggie hadn't replied to his knocks and calls.

The door in the room next to his opened, and he heard a slight scuffle, before it closed again. He stood with his club raised, ready to attack whoever came into his.

A Hispanic man came in with a gun raised, making him falter. Merle walked in next, carrying a limp, bloody body bridal style. Faye's eyes were closed, her temple was bruised, and her lip was split. Her purple shirt was bloody, and although she was slack, Glenn could see the pinch of her brow that said she was in pain.

He stared down at her in horror for a moment, just long enough to see the infrequent rise and fall of her chest, before looking back up at Merle and snapping, "What did you do-?!"

"Glenn!"

Glenn's demand was interrupted by Maggie's shout. She was led in by the arm by the Governor himself. Glenn felt his blood boil. The Governor's face was absent of that smile of his, and he completely ignored Faye's bloody body. When Glenn tried to lunge to save Maggie, Martinez shoved him back with the barrel of his gun.

"We're done playing games." He drew his pistol, "Now one of you, is gonna give up your camp." He pointed the pistol at Maggie, who's gaze hadn't moved away from Faye's body since she walked in.

Glenn steeled his jaw and met his gaze. He was determined to see this through to the end. The Governor raised his brow at the guts he was showing, then slowly tilted to gun towards Faye's head. Neither of them reacted visibly. Frustrated, he released Maggie and pushed the barrel between Glenn's eyes. Glenn met his glare head on and was fully prepared to take a bullet when Maggie spoke.

"The prison." Maggie blurted.

Merle looked at her in surprise, "The place on Nunez?"

"That's overrun." The Governor scowled.

Maggie gasped out a scared, "We took it." She crossed her arms over her chest tightly and bit her lip. She was determined not to start crying again but it was proving difficult.

"How many?" He pushed the gun closer the Glenn.

"Twelve." Maggie looked at Glenn apologetically. "We have twelve now..."

The Governor lowered his gun and gave a dry chuckle, "Twelve people managed to clear that prison of biters?" He lowered his gun. "Twelve?!" The room was silent. He scoffed and stormed out.

Martinez stayed behind to leave with Merle, but he had to put down Faye first. Maggie ran forward to take her and slowed her fall when he dropped her off. She cradled the back of her head and held her back up with the other. Glenn stepped over her body to stand between the women and Merle protectively, but the man just scoffed and left with Martinez. Nobody noticed the sharp glance he threw back at Faye before he slammed the door behind him.

"Glenn..." Maggie's voice shook and she pulled the hand from behind Faye's back away, now slick with red blood.

Glenn dropped to his knees next to her and helped pull Faye's limp form to sit up so they could see the wound. The footsteps retreated up the stairs, and her eyes blinked open, thankfully still gray and not sickly yellow. Glenn froze with his hands pushing up the back of her t-shirt.

"Faye...!" Maggie cupped the side of her face to see her, "What happened?"

The woman groaned breathlessly and strained as she tried to sit up. "We...have an ally." She stretched forward to reach into her boot, under the cuff of her jeans.

The position gave the couple a view of her back, and the angry injuries oozing blood slowly. Maggie covered her gasp and looked horrified, Glenn drew his brows in rage, but they were both quiet.

Faye sat back up, holding a small pistol that was hastily tucked out of sight by Merle. "Here," she gave it to Maggie. "You guys work out a plan. I just want to...sit here for a while." She slurred her words and crossed her arms on top of her knees before burying her face in them and wheezing for a bit.

 

They must have been outside the walls for at least an hour, watching, trying to find a pattern in the spotlight and guard patterns. Daryl was jumping out of his skin. These people looked serious, and were packing some serious heat. If Faye was inside she was definitely hurting. They didn't seem like the type to provide any kind of medical care to their prisoners.

"We need to downsize." Rick said and started pulling off all his gear. Oscar and Daryl followed his lead.

"Ain't no way we're checking in all those building's. Not with all the guards."

They turned with their weapons raised at the sound of twigs snapping, but only saw the woman's irritated face motioning for them to follow. Rick glanced to them and nodded to do as she said.

'Hang on, Sweet Thang.' Daryl thought. 'We're coming.'

 

Faye looked up again at the sound of disgusting squelching across the room. Glenn grunted in pain while he yanked the arm off of the walker he killed earlier. She watched in morbid fascination as he snapped the bone and yanked it through the skin. He handed the sharper one to Maggie.

"Romantic." She grunted and started to stand slowly. Her voice was much heavier in its accent, to the point where she could barely speak understandably. The fabric of her shirt immediately clung to her back. "Plan?" She asked them.

"We rush them. As soon as they next open the door." Maggie said coldly. She handed her the gun back. "You take this. I don't know why the hell Merle gave you that but as long as we have it, we're gonna make him regret it."

Faye fiddled with it and nodded. "Da. Okay, good. We draw them here. Pretend...I die."

Maggie and Glenn glanced at each other, and seemed to come to some kind of agreement. Maggie yelled at the top of her lungs, "HELP! SHE'S DEAD, WE CAN'T PUT HER DOWN, HELP!" Glenn started to kick and smash the furniture against the walls. Faye couldn't help but giggle a little at the sight. But then again she was extremely loopy from blood loss and pain, so a lot of shit was funny now.

They heard feet pounding down the stairs, and the door's lock turned. Glenn was ready, and charged out first, knocking over the first guy. Faye walked out next, gun up and aimed right at Merle. Maggie killed the last one, and his finger tightened on his gun's trigger on instinct. The bullets rapid fire and carved a line of holes up the wall, but Faye and Merle were at a standstill across the hallway.

When it was quieter again, Faye snapped, "Why give me this?"

Merle glanced between her and the gun. "I wanna find my brother. Don't care how."

Maggie picked up one of the other guns and aimed it at Merle as well. "Faye, we have to go." She ordered.

"I want answers." She snarled at Merle. "I don't like mind games."

"No mind games here, Missy." Merle insisted.

Faye spotted movement through a window in the wall behind Merle. Shadows were moving towards them, and she recognized the familiar shape of a crossbow over one's shoulders. In the same instant, four soldiers came from behind them and had them surrounded.

"God, fuck." Glenn cursed while he tried to stand. One came forward and grabbed at Maggie's gun. Faye kept her aim and eyes on Merle. "This isn't over." She hissed before two grenades were tossed around the corner and popped loud enough to sound like gun shots.

Smoke filled the hallway and chaos broke out. Faye limped to Glenn and yanked him up to shove him out of the fray. She recognized Oscar grab Maggie, and Rick gripped her wrist while Daryl and a woman she didn't know guarded their backs.

Maggie supported Glenn as he staggered along, fighting his concussion. Faye kept falling behind with her stiff leg, and Oscar let her use his arm as a support to keep up. They ran up the stairs and across a street echoing with screaming and the sound of panicked citizens.

"Inside, quick!" Rick hissed and yanked a door open. Glenn fell inside and had to sit back against the kitchen counter. It looked like it was a cafeteria once. Faye stumbled and caught herself on the edge next to Glenn. She leaned over the sink and tried to keep her breathing slow and even, through the stretch of her back and throbbing in her leg.

"Ain't no way out back here!" Daryl called from searching the perimeter. When Faye coughed violently he left his post at the window and rushed to stand next to her. He held her hair away from her face while she dry heaved into the sink and he looked over her face to try and assess her injuries.

"Rick how did you guys find us?!" Maggie demanded while she shoved Glenn into a hoodie she found.

"Explain later." He looked between them, "How bad are you hurt?"

"I'll be fine." Glenn panted.

Faye retched and threw up bile into the sink. Daryl jumped at the startling sound but didn't leave her. A shaky thumbs up was her answer.

She shook her head subtly at Glenn and Maggie, silently begging them not to say anything about the real extent of her injuries until they were out of enemy territory. If Daryl knew he would flip shit and not have a clear head while babying her and not letting her hold a weapon.

"Where's that woman?" Maggie changed the topic from their injuries, and Faye reminded herself to do something nice for her.

She tuned out the rest of the conversation around her and tried to just focus on her breathing. She knew they would have to run soon and wanted to brace herself for when that happened. Her hip had reopened and actually hurt more than her back because of the strain and use. Daryl pushed her hair aside so it was still out of the way and took her hand gently.

Daryl's concerned green eyes met her's and she shot him a reassuring smile that probably looked more like a grimace. He squeezed her hand gently and asked softly, "You gonna be able to run?"

She nodded and breathed out reassurances. With one last comforting squeeze of their hands, she pushed off the counter and hobbled on her leg after Glenn and Maggie. Daryl bit his lip, "Hey Oscar," He spoke quietly so Faye wouldn't hear, "Can you make sure she keeps up?"

Oscar looked the small woman up and down, "Yeah. She weighs what, twenty pounds?" He smiled teasingly.

Daryl scoffed, "Yeah, about that." He stayed behind to talk to Rick.

Oscar stayed close to Faye, offering his arm when she needed balance. They waited in the entryway for only a few more seconds before Daryl and Rick came back with smoke grenades.

Faye cocked her handgun and stood at the ready next to Maggie. "You okay to do this?" The woman hissed.

She grit out a slurred reply, "It would be really disappointing if I died now." Maggie pursed her lips but didn't say anything else.

Under the cover of two smoke bombs, they slung through the street, towards the wall to escape. People were shooting from above and from behind cover, and they were always out in the open.

"This way!" Oscar pulled her down a street with less shooting, hoping it would be safer. Faye could barely keep up, and kept having to stop to shoot at pursuers. "Damnit, woman!" Oscar shifted his gun into one hand and bent to wrap the other arm around her thighs and lift her over his shoulder, caveman style. Faye didn't complain, because it didn't hurt her hip, and still let her shoot at people approaching them from behind.

They all made it under a building overhang for cover, closer to the wall, but now they were trapped. "How many?!" Rick yelled over the suppressive fire.

"Too many!" Maggie responded while she reloaded Faye's handgun and handed it to her. She tucked it into the back of her pants, over her shirt, and grabbed at Daryl's machine gun. He handed it over, and she joined Maggie in firing around the corner to keep them from getting closer.

"Don't matter how many, there's gonna be more!" Daryl pulled out another grenade, "We gotta move before this cover goes South!"

"Stay low!" Rick yelled, "Hop from one spot with cover to another!"

At his urgent yelling, Daryl threw the grenade and they rushed out. Oscar ended up carrying Faye again, while she shot down three people on his back. He hefted her onto a truck tall enough to climb over the wall with and turned to Glenn and Maggie to lift them up. Faye stayed close to the edge, shooting down whoever got close or looked like they were aiming at them.

She almost shot Rick, until she noticed he was staring at another man. He was slowly marching towards them, raising his shot gun. She took steady aim, knowing this would have to be an impressive shot with a handgun at this distance. She pulled the trigger slowly, and his head whipped back with a spray of blood, a little to the left of his eyebrow.

"Shit, was that you?" Glenn panted. He was leaning against the windshield holding his ribs.

Faye tried to fire at another one, but her gun clicked empty. She huffed in frustration and scrambled back from the edge. She meant to say, "Yeah. I should go into shock more often if it improves my aim like that." But it came out in a garbled mix of Russian and English. She was getting dizzy and tired from all the running and pain.

Maggie pulled Glenn up, and helped him climb first over the wall, while Oscar slung Faye over his shoulder again and climbed down the supports quickly. She was about to ask about the others, and saw Rick running close behind them, but Daryl wasn't with him.

"Where's Daryl...?" Faye asked as Rick ran into the forest behind them. He glanced behind him and looked worried.

They took cover behind the railroad tracks with an abandoned train car still stuck on it. Faye tried to get back up and kept asking, "Daryl, did anyone see him? Is he alive?" She must have sounded slurred and frantic, but she didn't care. Oscar had her laid across his legs, her head in the crook of his arm and her back off the ground, like he knew it would hurt her to lay down.

Maggie crawled next to her and put a hand against her forehead. "Shit, a fever's setting in." She started to pull down the waistline of her shorts.

"Was she bit?" Oscar asked.

Maggie shook her head, "No she was shot when we were taken. The bastards didn't give her anything to stop infection." She probed at the edged of the wound. "Give me your flashlight." She took the light Oscar offered and held it in her mouth to work. Faye's neck was going lax and she kept mumbling in Russian in between asking for Daryl.

"Hey, hey, shhh..." Oscar pulled her to sit up more. "We'll get him. I promise, but you have to stay quiet so we don't get caught." Faye stared up at him and blinked heavily a few times before her eyes stayed shut and her head rolled back. "Fuck. She's out!" Oscar whispered to Maggie.

The woman nodded and pressed a bandanna onto the wound to wipe away any grime and puss leaking out. "Infections set in. She and Glenn need antibiotics and proper medical care. We have to get back."

Rick was reloading behind the cover of a car, "Come on, Daryl..." He urged.

The bushes behind them rustled, and they all turned, hoping for Daryl but ready for a threat. It was neither. The woman from before crawled from under the train car, covered in blood and looking to be in mild shock.

 

Faye came-to slowly, blinking against the dim morning light. She was at a slight incline, laying on her right side with her head elevated on something soft. She groaned and rolled onto her back, only to receive a grim reminder about the real damage. She whimpered at the pull and tried to roll back, but a larger hand helped her sit up.

"Hey, shhh... it's okay. We're okay." She followed the arm behind her head up to Oscar's smiling face. He looked relieved. "Good to have you back in the land of the living."

"I died?" she mumbled, feeling a lot better but still shitty.

"Pretty damn close."

She turned too fast towards the unfamiliar voice behind her, and had to be steadied by Oscar again. She had been laying on his knee while he made sure she was breathing.

The woman from before had spoken, where she stood above the two leaning against the green minivan. She wasn't pretty, gorgeous was a better way to put it. Her ebony skin was shiny with sweat, and her arms were the dictionary definition of the word "sculpted". She gave off an air that was threatening, unless she was on your side. Then you knew you were safe.

Glenn crawled closer to her and tried to lift the back of her shirt. "How's your-?"

Faye smacked his hands away and chastised with a scratchy voice, "Glenn, it's not polite to expose yourself in front of a lady." She grinned up at the woman, who snorted.

"Where's everyone else?"

"We're waiting for them." Glenn explained while he checked over her back anyway. "Daryl got captured, so Maggie and Rick stayed to get him."

"I wanted to help," Oscar offered, "But they needed someone to carry you and help defend you guys if something went wrong."

Faye nodded but was deep in thought as Glenn prodded at her open back. He drew a flinch here and there, but she didn't complain. If Daryl was captured, he could be being tortured. What about Rick and Maggie? They could be suffering the same fate. She could see the worry in Glenn's face. He must be worried too.

"Thanks for getting me out, Oscar." Faye held out her hand, which he took, and shook. "I owe you."

He smiled back kindly and helped her to her feet. "No need. It's what we do." He turned to talk quietly with Glenn.

Faye nodded and leaned her good hip against the minivan, facing the mystery woman. "Does such a pretty face have a pretty name to go with it?" She flirted with a smirk. Who cared that she sounded drunk and looked like she went through a wood-chipper.

The woman looked her up and down critically, "You look like dog shit."

Faye snorted, "Honest. I like it." She shifted to where she was resting her shoulders and butt against the van, back arched in the middle so her wounds wouldn't be touched. "Seriously, though. What's your story? What got you into our group?"

She sighed when she realized she wasn't leaving. "I'm not a part of your group. I saw you three get taken, and decided I could help. I found the prison and told them what happened, and somehow I got here."

Faye chuckled, "When I first met Rick, I killed a man in front of him and he handcuffed me to a pipe. Next thing I know I'm saving his son from a herd. That was about a year ago." She picked at her nails and said wistfully, "These people have a charm about them that draws you in. They're good people." She smiled at her.

She didn't return it. "So what's your story?" She sounded like she would rather not make conversation, but was still curious. "Before all this?"

Faye crossed her arms and looked off at the trees. "Russian Ballerina turned mobster turned outcast. You?"

She looked taken aback at the casual way she answered. Before she could formulate a response, they all heard a familiar voice call softly, "Glenn! Oscar!"

They perked up and were immediately rushing towards the voices. Glenn called back and Faye saw them running through the trees. But there was one too many.

Rick held up a placating hand and said, "Now we got a problem here. I need you to back up."

Glenn drew his gun and aimed it at Merle. "What the hell is he doing here?!" He snapped. The woman drew her sword and tried to rush him, but was blocked by Rick. "He tried to kill me!"

"Put it down!" Daryl was commanding. He had no weapon drawn, but one hand up in front of Glenn. "He helped us get out of there!"

Apparently Rick wasn't keen on protecting him either, because he snapped back, "Yeah right after he beat the shit out of you!"

Merle was just standing there, watching the fight for his life go down like it was a comedy act. "Hey, we both took our licks, man."

"Jackass." Daryl snapped back.

By then, Faye had caught up, with Oscar's help, and pulled her gun from his belt. She held it up and gently pushed the woman aside so she could aim right at Rick. "Step aside, Officer. You're out voted."

"Hey now Missy, if it weren't for me-"

"I wouldn't be limping with a hole in my hip and Glenn wouldn't have impared vision and a broken rib. Rick," she drew the hammer back. "Step. Aside."

Daryl glanced at her in surprise, but had to keep his focus on keeping Glenn back. Oscar stayed close by, no weapon but definatly not okay with keeping Merle around.

"I got you that gun, Missy. I got you out!"

"We got ourselves out!" Maggie snapped.

"Hey, now Peaches, that's not very nice."

Rick glanced back at him, "Shut up!" He yelled.

Merle looked defensive and held up his arms, "Hey now-!"

Daryl swiped at Glenn and barked, "Hey, get that thing out of my face!"

It was quiet after his outburst, until Merle started chuckling. "Man, looks like you've gone native, brother."

Daryl snapped back, "No better than you, hanging out with that psycho, back there!"

Merle laughed and shook his head, "Oh yeah, he is a charmer, I'll give him that." He looked at the woman with dark skin, "Been putting the wood to your girlfriend Andrea. Big time, baby." He let out a lewd moan, and Faye finally thought she had a clear shot at the tree behind him, just as a warning shot, but when she pulled the trigger, the gun clicked.

"Damnit...!" She cursed and pulled it back to check it over, then tucked the empty gun back into her belt.

Daryl looked shocked and lowered his arm for a moment. "You were really gonna kill him?" He asked cautiously.

Faye balled her fists but kept glaring at Merle. "I was going to shoot the tree as a warning, but the same ammount of brains would have come out of the wood."

Merle scowled and jabbed a finger her way, "Now don't make me-"

"Fucking try it, old man!" Faye leaned into his insults, ready to swing if necessary. Oscar took her bicep and held her back while Rick tried to get order.

"Andrea's in Woodbury?" Glenn asked, lowering his weapon in the moment of distraction.

"Mm-hm." Merle crossed his arms smugly. "Right up there with the Governor."

Rick turned to the woman, "You know Andrea?"

She glared at Merle and turned to Rick, but Merle answered for her. "Sure did. They spent all winter, cuddled up together in the forest. My Nubian Queen here had two pet walkers. No arms, with their jaws cut off, had 'em in chains. Kind of ironic now that I think about it."

That seemed to break Daryl's tolerance, because he spun around and snapped, "Shut up, bro!" inches from Merle's face.

Merle just snickered and kept talking, "Hey, we grabbed them out of the woods, Andrea was close to dying!"

Maggie moved closer to Faye and helped her stand up. "Is that why she's with him?"

"Mm-hm. Snug as two little bugs."

Faye was getting tired of his voice. She tried to make another rush at him, but Maggie blocked her across the chest. Merle laughed at her failed attack and turned to Rick. "So what now, Sheriff? Surrounded by a bunch of liars, thugs, and cowards?"

"Shut up!" Rick snapped.

"Man look at this. Pathetic." Merle clicked his tongue, "All these guns and no bullets in 'em!"

"Man, SHUT UP!"

"Shut up yourselves, you bunch of pussies roll-!"

Rick clocked him on the back of the head with the butt of his Python and he fell, unconscious. They all stared down at his body for a moment, then Faye snorted in humor. Everyone turned to look at the sound, and she kept smiling gleefully.

"What?" She chuckled. "That was extremely satisfying."

They all seemed to agree, but Daryl was still glaring at her. Probably because she aimed a gun at his brother.

Oops.

 

The woman with no name waited by the car favoring her good leg and trying to stretch out the bad one. The rest of them were in a loose circle up the road, out of earshot, while they discussed Merle's fate.

"It won't work." Rick stated firmly.

Daryl shook his head, "It has to." He persisted, "The Governor could be on his way to the prison right now. Merle knows how he thinks and we could use the muscle."

"Are you kidding?" Maggie hissed, "I'm not letting him sleep in the same building as Beth, or Carol."

"He ain't a rapist!" Daryl jumped to his defense

"His boss is!" Faye snapped. "I barely made it out of that room alive, and now you want to bring the man that put us in there back to our home?! No, no way. Out of the question!"

Daryl looked concerned and stepped forward. She stepped back. "Faye, did he-?"

"No. But if it was anyone else, he could have, and I'm not bringing his delivery boy back to my kids!" She jabbed a finger towards the woods where Merle was recovering from his blow.

"Look, Faye, they ain't buddies no more! Not after last night!"

Rick stepped in, "He's not coming back if it'll put everyone at each other's throats."

"So what," Daryl gestured to the woman by the car, "You just cut him loose and set the Last Samuri on him?!"

"She's not coming back."

"She's not in a state to be on her own." Maggie looked conflicted on the topic, but still didn't want Merle with them.

Glenn agreed with her, "She did bring you guys to us."

"Yeah, and then ditched us." Rick put his hands on his hips.

"She also carried Faye, part of the way." Oscar offered up. "If that helps..." He trailed off.

Daryl glared at her, "That's right. We don't know who she is." He looked right at Faye. "But Merle's blood."

Faye leveled her gaze. "No, Daryl. He is your blood."

"That's right, and my blood," Glenn drew his gaze, "my family, is waiting for us back at the prison."

Daryl shook his head and stared at the pavement, "Man, ya'll don't know..." He scuffed his feet while he thought. "Fine." He looked up at Rick. "We'll fend for ourselves."

"No, Daryl-" Faye reached out, but he stepped out of reach. She lowered her arm sadly.

"That's not what I meant. You're part of that family, too." Glenn defended.

"Daryl, you don't have to do that." Maggie pleaded.

"No him, no me." He said defiantly. "It was always Merle and I before all this."

"Please, don't..." Faye's lip started trembling, but she shoved the tears back until she could convince him.

"What do we tell Carol?" Oscar offered.

Daryl glanced at Faye but couldn't keep eye contact. "She'll understand." He glanced at Maggie, "Say goodbye to your pop for me." He started to walk back towards the car.

The group protested after him, but Faye rushed ahead and shoved them back. "Hey! Daryl!" She yelled while she tried to limp and catch up. "Hey!"

She grabbed his arm and turned him around. "Look at me!" She only dropped his arm when he met her eyes. "I'm sorry I grabbed you, but what the fuck?!" Her voice cracked. "We can try and come to a compromise. Are you really so afraid that you feel the need to storm off like this?"

He shook his head, "They can't ask me to leave him again. I already did that once." He started to walk again, and Faye could barely keep up.

"All he had to do was wait! His arm is not your fault!" She caught herself against the car and leaned on it for support. Her leg was tight and sore again. "We're in the begining of a war, Daryl. We have a fucking baby, children, and an amputee. We need you for this." She swallowed thickly, "Daryl, I need you..."

He stopped rummaging through the trunk for a moment and met her wet gray eyes, pleading with him. He wanted to, he really did. But it felt like Faye was manipulating him now. Last night and all of yesterday she ignored and avoided him, and even went so far as to change beds without giving a hint as to what's wrong. Now she was bringing up all this emotional crap, just because they needed soldiers in a war.

"No him, no me." He slung a bag over his shoulder. "That's all I can say."

Faye was getting desperate, "Please, Daryl..." Her accent was really shining through with her pleads.

"Take care of Lil' Asskicker. And Carl. Beth." He stepped back, towards Merle. "They're tough, like you. Take care of yourself."

The way he said it felt like a blow to the chest. As if they didn't take care of each other in this relationship. As if she could just flip a switch and forget about what they had. She thought they would do anything for each other, she would certainly do anything for him. But he wasn't able to even try and find any way to work together. She would do anything for him, anything, and he threw it back in her face like an insult.

"Daryl!" Rick called after him. He glanced back, but kept walking. His brother grinned at him and slung an arm over his shoulder to lead him away.

The sadness and betrayal warped into anger, and Faye clenched her fists and limped towards the edge of the road after him. "ТРУС!" She yelled after him, just as frustrated tears welled over and carved lines down the dirt and blood on her face. "ТРУС! ТРУС!"

Rick pulled her back and left her to Oscar. The man wrapped her in a light hug so as not to hurt her back, and she started to sob. The gasping just made her back hurt, and the shock and fear caught up with her as well. She had been terrified for her life, back in that room, and she still had reason to be. She wasn't afraid of dying in the heat of battle, or for a good cause, she was afraid of fading out. Like a candle at the end of it's wick. Infection could do that. She could be to far gone to save, and the man she loved had just walked away like she was nothing.

As Daryl trudged through the woods, he heard Faye's yelling die out, most likely silenced by Rick for fear of drawing walkers.

"Man, don't she know that the dead are walking?" Merle glanced back at where they left them.

Daryl was quiet, because he knew that word from a spring night, days before they found the prison. Faye had been messing with a ladybug crawling over her fingers, and when it had flown away she had mumbled the word with a pout. When Daryl asked what it meant, she had turned to him with a tired smile and told him.

"Coward."


	18. Running on Empty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Suffer with me.

Faye was gasping out sobs, head tucked between her knees with Maggie running her fingers through her hair soothingly. She didn't know what was wrong. Once she started crying she couldn't stop, couldn't get her breathing under control. Her group was patient with her, putting her in the back seat with Maggie and Oscar. The two didn't say anything, but they were gentle, and kind. They seemed calm, and their attitude spread to Faye and lowered her panic levels.

She felt the car roll to a stop, and Maggie, Rick, Oscar, and Glenn got out. She didn't look up, but she did hear Oscar whisper to the woman in the middle seats, "Look after her." She didn't care who was with her. She didn't trust her, but she didn't care.

"He'll be back, you know." The woman said softly.

Her voice brought Faye from between her knees, red eyes glanced over the back of the seat at her coal eyes.

"A boy like that with a woman like you, doesn't stay gone for long. Besides," she picked at her nails, "it's like you said. A war just started, and you have kids back there. He'll be back."

Faye took a deep, shuddering breath. "Maybe."

Outside the vehicle, Glenn had just killed a walker that fell out of the truck blocking the road. He stomped on it's face again and again, grunting out with each impact. Oscar, Rick, and Maggie stood by shocked as he slammed his foot into its head again and again, until it was mush. He panted and stepped back, rolling his shoulder and clutching his ribs.

Rick stepped in front of him, with the intention of asking what that was about, but Glenn spoke first. "You didn't kill him."

Rick shook his head, "That's not why we went back."

"No. That's right." He leered. "You went back for Daryl. And now he's gone, and the Governor is still alive."

"Daryl was the priority."

"I should've been there with you." He jabbed a finger at Rick.

Rick looked incredulous, "You were in no condition-"

"But my girlfriend was?!" He gestured to Maggie. "You sent her back in there, at the risk of being captured, and the same thing that happened to Faye happening to her! You heard what she said, if it was anyone else, he could've-" He cut himself off and ran a hand through his sweaty hair, frustrated. "I should have been there."

"You stayed behind because you could barely even walk!" Rick stepped up to him.

"Do you know what he did to her?!" Glenn was yelling now, and pointed back towards the van. "Do you know what he could have done?!"

"LEAVE IT ALONE!" Maggie screamed above it.

The samurai put her hand on the back of Faye's head and pushed her back between her knees. "Maybe you wanna rest a bit more." She said softly. Faye went without protest as a new wave of tears washed over her and dripped onto the carpet.

Glenn huffed in frustration and continued quieter, "After all that effort. All that we've been through, Daryl just takes off with Merle?"

"He had his reasons," Rick said, remorseful.

"Yeah well they were shit reasons." Glenn snapped. "So you keep telling yourself that, Rick. Doesn't change the fact that we're all up to our necks in shit!"

"What do you want me to do?!" Rick snapped. "Turn the car around, beg him to come back lay down the welcome mat for Merle?! This is the hand we've been dealt!"

They stared each other down, until Oscar said, "Hey, guys. We should just get back for now. This ain't no way to talk things out."

Glenn shook his head, "No, you guys do all the talking you want. I'm done." He backed up to get the brakes.

 

"Fever's spiking again." Oscar announced while feeling along Faye's forehead. The woman was paler, and sweating. Her eyes had closed and she had lost consciousness as they were approaching the prison. They were pulling through the gate now.

"Drive on up, I'll meet you there." Rick told Maggie and pushed through the door to talk to his son.

Maggie gunned it up the drive, urged by Oscar's warning. "Try and keep her awake!" She called back.

Oscar turned her head up, and tried to wake her up, but she wasn't stirring. "She's out. Needs medicine fast."

Maggie rolled through the gate and screeched on the brakes. Glenn spin in his seat and instructed the other woman, "Go tell Hershel to be ready." She nodded and ran from the car as fast as she could.

Oscar pulled Faye out and carried her bridal style, limp with her arms hanging like a corpse. Maggie told him to go, quickly, so he booked it to the doors.

"Hershel, coming in hot!" He yelled out into the commissary. He completely ignored the strangers sitting at the tables. Beth looked up from feeding Judith and stared wide eyed at the woman before jogging after them.

"Whoa whoa, wait what happened?!" Allen yelled after them, but got no answer. "She looked dead." He turned to Tyreese, "If they have to put down another person, how will that effect our chances of staying?"

Tyreese put a hand on his shoulder, "Hey, we'll be okay. We'll figure it out." He soothed. "Just let me do all the talking."

Oscar followed Hershel's ushering into a cell, "What happened?" He asked quickly while he helped lay her down on her back.

"Shot in the hip. She had an infection." Oscar shoved a pillow under her head. "Her back was bloody, too, but I don't know what happened."

Hershel nodded, "Turn her on her side. We'll start with her hip. Beth! I need your help in here."

Beth had been standing by the door watching in shock, hand slack around Judith's bottle, but her dad's urgency snapped her into focus. She handed Judith off to Oscar, who looked surprised at the trust, and sat down next to her dad. "What can I do?" Her eyes were hard, and she pulled Faye's pants aside to expose the wound.

"First, we have to clean it." He dumped some rubbing alcohol onto a cloth. "It's probably best that she's not awake for this part."

She nodded and took the cloth. While she was scrubbing the dead tissue and dirt out, she spoke without looking up. "Oscar, go find Carol to take Judith. Then you and Axel get those showers working." Oscar nodded and jogged back to the commissary without jostling the baby.

"Okay," Hershel pressed gauze to the site, and taped it down. "That's good for now. Next let's check her back and then we'll get her some water."

Beth helped him roll her onto her stomach and adjust her head so she could still breathe. Hershel sliced her shirt straight up the back and peeled it aside. Beth gasped at the smell of blood and dead tissue. It looked like she had been flayed, and the dead skin hadn't fallen off, and given her an infection.

"What happened...?" She whispered.

Hershel had stopped too, at the severity of the wounds, but he snapped back to it and handed Beth a damp washcloth. "Wipe away the dirt, and try to peel away as much dead skin as you can. If it doesn't just fall off, don't force it. We may have to cut some of it away." Beth gulped and did as he said.

Running footsteps echoed through the cell block, and Carl skid to a halt outside the doorway. "Is she-?" He cut himself off at the sight. She was mangled and breathing so shallow he couldn't tell she even was unless he looked closely. He swallowed hard and turned to Hershel. "Will she make it?"

"The best we can do is clean her up and hope for the best. As soon as she wakes up I want to put her under some clean water in those showers." He drew a pair of medical tweezers. "There are bits of leather in the scabs. I can't get them all out, and I don't want her healing over it."

"What can I do?"

Hershel looked up and met his eyes. "The showers need to be finished as soon as possible. If she doesn't get clean and hydrated soon, she won't make it."

Carl nodded, "How are we on antibiotics?"

Hershel held up the bottle and shook it. It sounded like there were only three or four left. He shook his head.

Carl pursed his lips and ran back into commissary. "Do you have any medicine?" He demanded of the group.

Ben stood up, "Is this about that woman we saw?"

"Yes, now do you have any?" He sounded desperate.

Sasha rummaged through one of their bags, "Uhh, we have some ibuprofen and aspirin. That's it." She handed him both. He snatched the bottles and ran back into the cell block.

Allen looked dumbfounded. "You just hand them our only medicine?!"

"It's the least we could do." Tyreese stated firmly. "They fed us, let us stay here out of the goodness of their hearts."

"It'll be wasted." Ben said softly. "She didn't look like she'll make it."

Tyreese turned on him, "And if Donna had wanted them when she was dying, would you have given it to her? This is no different." He pointed to the block. "They look like they've been through hell. The least we could do is help them out."

 

Daryl swat at a mosquito crawling up his arm. The woods were quiet, this early in the morning. "Ain't nothing out here but mosquitoes and ants." He called back to Merle.

Merle glanced back from pissing on a tree and chastised, "Patience, little brother. Sooner or later a squirrel is bound to scurry across your path."

"Still," He rolled his shoulder, "That ain't much food."

"More than nothing." Merle zipped up.

"We'd have better luck scavenging. Setting up a camp and trapping." He glanced down at the thought of Faye's trapping skills. "Or going through one of those houses we passed back at the turnoff."

"Is that what your new friends taught you? Hmm?" Merle turned back to him smirking. "How to loot for booty? Or maybe that was just you and that French chick, huh? Yeah, bet she taught you real good."

"Shut up." Daryl snapped. "She's Russian. And we've been at it for hours. Let's find a stream, look for some fish." He checked down the sights on his bow.

Merle tested the line on a small trap they set with para chord. "I think you're just trying to lead me back to the road." He accused. "Get me back to that prison."

Daryl kicked at the ground lightly and crossed his ankles. "They got shelter, food. A pot to piss in. Might not be a bad idea."

"They also got that hot piece of ass that was screaming at ya yesterday." Merle smirked over his shoulder. "They may welcome you back in with open legs but it ain't gonna be no damn party for me." He stood and started rolling up the chord.

"Shut up, Merle it ain't like that." Daryl was nearing the edge of all his comments about Faye. He added quieter, "Everyone will get used to each other."

"They're all dead." Daryl froze with his bow halfway to his eye. "It won't make a difference."

"...how can you be so sure?" He didn't look at him when he asked. He didn't want to think of his family being shot down, or having to run from walkers with a baby. Having to leave Hershel or Faye behind because they couldn't run with their injuries. It didn't sit right.

"Right about now, he's probably hosting a housewarming party, where he's gonna bury what's left of your pals." He spit and passed him, slapping his arm as he went. "Come on. Let's hook some fish."

Daryl pushed the thoughts and fears aside, but the feeling stayed. He spit to the floor as well and followed his brother.

 

Hours later, Beth and Carl sat in Faye's room, Beth bouncing Judith and Carl wiping down Faye's face of the dirt and grime. Gray morning light cast a glow over them all, giving them just enough light to see, but not harsh enough to wake either of the sleeping tenants. The woman was still slack, but looked less pale than before. Her wounds were still open, and scabbing over, but that's what Hershel had warned about.

"She's like a mom..." Beth said softly from her chair. "But she takes care of all of us."

Carl hesitated, but kept wiping her down. "Before my mom died, when your dad was recovering, I had a meltdown." Beth leaned forward in interest. "Faye held me back and told me that I could leave when I was calm. I was so angry and frustrated, I..." He sighed. "No one had ever encouraged me to cry before. And now, it seems like a waste of time, you know?"

Beth nodded. "I called her mom, by accident, a bit before that." She shifted Judith when she started fussing. "It just slipped out, but...it was right." She gave a small, worried smile to the boy, which he returned.

Carl's smile fell. "How could he have left us? If she talked to him, I don't see how he could do that." He motioned to Faye's dirty cheeks, "She cried. You can see the stripes, but he still walked away."

"Carol says that Daryl has his code. And that's what's gotten him this far." She sighed. "His code fucking sucks."

Carl snickered at her language.

A deep groan sounded through the room, and Faye's mouth opened to release a long sigh of air. Carl jumped back with his hand on the hilt of his gun, ready to put her down if she'd turned. But when her eyes blinked open, they were gray, and squinted, like she could barely handle the dim candle light. She groaned again and tried to push herself up, but she was too weak.

"Faye...!" Carl knelt next to her head. "How are you feeling?"

"дерьмо..." she murmured and rolled onto her side. Glenn's shirt stayed on her like an apron. "Where's Daryl...?" She glanced around the room.

Beth handed her an open water bottle and shook her head. "He left, Faye. He's still gone."

Faye raised her eyebrows and took a gulp. "Still? He hasn't come crawling back to apologize yet?" She took another swig with a pill Carl handed her.

Carl looked at her sadly, "I don't think he's coming back."

Faye shook her head and finished off the bottle. "He will be. And then I'm going to give him absolute hell, mark my words." She grabbed the bunk above her and pulled herself up to stand.

Beth held out a hand to stop her, "Wait, what are you doing?!"

"I want to walk. I'm awake and I need practice." She limped from the cell, Carl next to her for support. She narrowed her eyes at him and compared their height. "You look older. How long was I out?"

Carl snorted, "Only about a day. It's almost morning now."

"Daddy said to get you in the showers for your back as soon as you were up. I think Axel and Oscar finished it up yesterday." Beth followed carrying Judith. "I'll get him up." She rushed into another cell.

While they were waiting, Faye asked Carl, "So, what'd I miss?"

Carl and Hershel explained quietly. They explained Tyreese's group, Rick's meltdown, Glenn taking leadership, and the impending war between Woodbury and them. Faye was quiet when they were finished and they reached the door to the showers.

"...and I was out for only twelve hours?" She asked incredulously.

Beth nodded, "Things have been crazy."

Faye hummed in agreement and followed Hershel into the shower rooms.

Oscar and Axel looked up from putting their tools back in the bag. The stall floors around them were wet and shiny in the sunlight.

Oscar stood up and grinned, "Glad to see you awake."

Axel nodded and said in his loud drawl, "Yeah, you looked like one of the walkers when you came in." Oscar slapped his arm in reprimand.

"To be honest," Faye groaned and sat down on one of the benches by the door. "I think I was legally dead for at least a couple seconds. How long have you all been down here?"

Axel answered her while she untied her shoelaces. "Earlier this morning, ma'am. When we finished our watch we just came down here."

Faye wrinkled her nose, "Don't call me ma'am. Makes me feel like I'm already thirty." She managed to yank her boots off at last.

Carl let her use his shoulder as support while she stood back up. "How old are you really?"

"Let's see..." she rubbed her lip in thought. "I was twenty seven when it all went down, and I have an autumn birthday, so-holy shit I'm almost thirty!" She looked genuinely shocked.

"You don't look a day over twenty five. Now come on," Hershel guided her barefoot towards the stall, "Let's get cleaned up."

"We was just trying to get hot water in here, but I think we gotta go outside to the boiler tank for that." Axel said. Oscar pulled him out of the showers while he called back, "We'll give ya some privacy now!"

Faye chuckled when they left and she struggled with her pants button. "Carl, I don't care if you stay but it's creepy to watch." Carl blushed up his neck and sat on the bench facing away from them.

Hershel helped her shrug off the ruined shirt with a small huff of pain, and took the baby while Beth helped her pull down her pants. Faye hated feeling so useless that she couldn't even undress herself. It wasn't even the complete nudity that worried her anymore.

She turned the knob and waited, but no water came out. She turned the Hershel to ask if she had done something wrong, but the freezing water rushed out and hit her skin with a yelp. A moment later she was laughing though, and wiping the blood and dirt off her arms.

"Lean against the tile, so I can see your back." Hershel ordered while he rolled up his sleeves. Faye braced herself arms against the wall and let the ice water trickle down her neck and back. The cold was soothing, and Beth giggled at the blissed out look on her face.

Hershel wiped down the abrasions with a clean cloth, and dubbed her clean enough to get out at last. She washed her hair and face, smiling the whole way. Hershel turned around for privacy, even though he had just seen it all, and Beth helped her dry off with a few washcloths.

"Here," she jumped to the lockers and pulled a stack of her clothes and a new piece of light yellow fabric out. "This was in one of the lockers. Best guess is one of the guards wanted to change before she left work."

Faye held up the yellow sundress with the open back and flowing short skirt. This would be perfect for her back and hip. And Beth had also grabbed her spandex shorts, freshly washed. "Thank you." She grinned. "It's perfect."

 

Daryl and Merle trudged through the underbrush. The youngest was following the smell of wet plants and the salty tang of fish towards a river.

Merle spoke up, "Smells to me like the Sawahatchee Creek."

"We didn't go West enough." Daryl bent to look around the base of a tree to check for moss and determine their direction, like Faye had taught him. "There's a river down there, it's gotta be the Yellow Jacket."

Merle scoffed at him and pulled ahead. "You have a stroke, boy? We ain't never even come close to Yellow Jacket."

"Nah," Daryl glanced up at a bird calling in the trees. "We didn't go west, just a little bit South. You can tell by the trees."

Merle stopped and stared at him. "The trees?" He stretched the word. "You one of those hippy dippy nature fucks now? We're headed West, look at the sun."

"But moss is growing that way," He jabbed his thumb behind him. "That's North, so we're going South, towards the Yellow Jacket."

"You know what I think?" Merle kept onward. "I may have lost my hand, but you lost your sense of direction."

"We'll see."

"What do you wanna bet?" Merle said it like a kid on Christmas asking for a toy.

"I don't wanna bet nothing." Daryl said exasperated. "It's just a body of water. Why's everything got to be a competition with you?"

Whoa now take it easy, little brother." Merle came to a halt. "Just trying to have a little fun here. No need you get your panties all in a bundle."

Daryl stopped and listened. Distantly, he heard a familiar sound that made his heart race. A small wailing combined with yelling and snarls.

"You hear that?"

"Yeah. Wild animals gettin' wild." He spoke nonchalantly.

"No," Daryl listened closer. "It's a baby."

"Oh, come on." Merle waved it off. "Why don't you just piss in my ear and tell me it's raining too? That there is the sound of a couple of coons making love, sweet love." He hummed lewdly.

Daryl ignored him and pushed through the brush until he came to the shore of a shallow river. Up the bank a ways was a concrete bridge blockaded with trucks and debree. Two men were yelling in Spanish over the cries and snarls, shooting as many walkers as they could, but being cornered onto a flatbed.

He left Merle behind and started running through the woods again, towards the chaotic site. If a baby was in trouble he had to help. Faye would do the same if it meant people were safe. He cursed his train of thought, and how it always seemed to go straight back to her. He would really love to have her in this fight, though.

Once he got onto the bridge, he first fired a bolt through a walker about to take a bite out of one of the men on the truck, then immediately moved on to the car where the baby crying was coming from. He shot one and crushed another, spraying blood and gore over the windows. The one crawling through the trunk towards the front didn't last long against him. He pulled it back by the ankles, and slammed the hatchback closed on it's skull.

"Ayudar, motherfuckers!" Daryl yelled to the other two men while he reloaded. "I'm trying to help ya so cover me!"

That snapped the men out of it, and they joined the fray again. Merle shot one down, Daryl killed three more and saved one other man by stabbing it through the head, and taking out some frustrations by kicking it off the bridge. He panted and watched the corpse hit the water. He turned to the man standing next to him, "De nada." He snapped and moved back to retrieve his bow.

Merle sauntered past the men and opened their van door casually. He started to rummage through their supplies, and when one of the men tried to stop him, he pulled a gun on him. Daryl had had enough.

"Get out of the car, Merle." Daryl made sure he could see that he had his bow up and aimed at him. Merle froze, and turned a glare on him. They stood off until he lowered his gun and holstered it again. Daryl made him back up before he lowered his bow.

He turned to one of the men and stuttered out, "Uhh...medicina. Medicina?"

"Oh!" One man nodded, "Sí, sí!" He called something to the woman inside, who pulled a little orange bottle out of the glove box and handed it through the cracked window. He handed it off to Daryl and gave a short, "Gracías!" Before he got in the back seat and they drove back up the road.

"Since when do you speak beaner?!" Merle yelled after him. Daryl didn't reply, just kept walking back up the road. He picked his bag back up and shoved the bottle of painkillers in the side pocket. It was the good shit, too, so she might forgive him.

"The hell you doing, pointing that thing at me?!" Merle snapped after him. "I was just taking what's due! Need food more than whatever hallucinogenics you bartered from 'em!"

"They were scared. Didn't have to give us anything." Daryl kept going through the woods and didn't look back.

He heard Merle stop walking, "You helping people out of the goodness of your heart now? That something your Sheriff Rick taught you? Or did it get that French chick all hot and bothered?"

Daryl stopped and spun back, "There was a baby! And she's Russian, Jackass!" He waved an arrow at him, "I went back for you, and you weren't there! I didn't cut off your hand, neither, you did that! Way before they locked you up on that roof!"

Merle chuckled, but it held no humor, "You know what really tickles me? You and your Sheriff," He held up two crossed fingers, "You're like this now. Especially if he's whoring out that bitch to ya. But I'll bet a penny and a fiddle of gold you never told either of them that you were planning on robbing that camp blind."

Daryl faltered. "It never happened."

"Yeah," He stepped closer, "Because I wasn't there to help you! You started getting all attached! Trying to save those 'poor' little kids!"

"Oh, yeah. Just like when we were kids, huh? Who left who then?!"

"What?!" They were both yelling now. "Is that why I lost my hand?!"

"You lost your hand because you're a simple-minded piece of shit!"

Merle roared and lunged at him, but Daryl jumped out of the way. He still caught the back of his shirt and ripped it down, making the backpack fall off and the pills spill out of the container onto the dirt. Daryl cursed and ignored his brother staring in favor of gathering as many back up as he could. He blew off each white capsule and tossed it back in the bottle before loading it back up and slinging the bag back up.

He knew Merle was staring at his scars. The short lashes of gray skin scabbed over and healed warped and wrong, making for a gruesome sight. Merle had never known that when he left, their dad had turned his anger to him.

"I-I didn't know he was-"

"Yeah well he did." Daryl snapped. "He did the same to you. That's why you left."

"I had to." Merle sounded desperate to make him understand, when he understood all too well. "I would've killed him otherwise." He didn't follow Daryl. "Where you going?"

Daryl turned back, "Back where I belong."

"I can't follow you!" He searched desperately for words, looking distressed. "If tried to kill that black bitch! Handed that chick over to the Governor, and damn near did the Chinese kid in."

"He's Korean!" Daryl snapped and walked a few more steps. He stopped at the base of a tree and drew his knife. There were a few small, wild daisies growing around here, and if there was to be any hope of conversation with Faye, he would need all the help he could get. He started to saw them from their stems while Merle kept trying to convince him to stay.

"Whatever!" He waved away the term. "Point is I can't go with you!"

Daryl shoved the bouquet into the side pocket, next to the pills. "You know," He started to walk again. "I may be walking away, but you're the one that's leaving. 'Again.'"

He shoved his way through the underbrush with one goal in mind. He had to work things out with his woman.

 

Beth caught Faye's arm when she stumbled on her boots. "You should really rest a bit more! You've been running on empty for a whole day and we just got your back dressed and your hip cleaned."

"Beth," the woman stopped and made the girl look her in the eye. One eye was slightly purple, and the color trailed down her cheek from where the Governor slapped her. Her lip was scabbed over and healing quickly. "Look into my eyes, and tell me to go back to bed."

Beth stared at her for a few seconds, then looked away. "Fine..." she grumbled and helped her to the end of the Block. Faye smirked victoriously. Her yellow skirt brushed the middle of her thighs, and didn't match her black boots at all, but she was comfortable with it's open back. Gauze was taped over her gashes, and salve was rubbed over the bruises, making the black and blue skin shine.

Beth had braided her hair on either side of her head and down her back, so it was out of her face. While the woman was grateful for all the help she had been getting, she didn't like being taken care of like an invalid. Her group was way too compassionate.

Faye waved at Maggie, where she was cleaning and reloading a few rifles and the old sniper gun with the wooden mount for the scope. The memory made Faye's heart pang, but she shoved the feelings of loss aside. He would be back. She honestly believed that.

Beth pushed open the door and led Faye out, who had her face turned up at the warm sunlight. Oscar caught sight of her and grinned. He jogged to take over supporting her and teased, "Shower did you good. You only look half dead now." He helped her sit down on the bleachers to rest her leg, and since it was already throbbing, she didn't argue.

Beth snickered and Faye scowled, but didn't take offense. "Better than you on a good day. What have you all been doing?" She glanced over his sweaty form and damp jumpsuit.

"Moving the pallets up on the catwalk." He ticked his chin at the bridge. "That way, people won't be easy targets if they're walking up there."

Carl joined them from where he was closing the gate, small smile in place at seeing Faye up and walking around.

Faye smiled at the sight of Axel sneaking up on Carol and tapping her on the shoulder. He wasn't as stealthy as he thought, because she wasn't surprised at all. She was happy, and smiling. The fact that she was laughing made Faye's spirits lift for the future.

And then Axel's head exploded all over Carol's neck and chest.

"DOWN!" Faye reached out and yanked Carl beneath the bleachers, while Oscar dove to cover Beth's small form. Carol pulled Axel's body to cover her's, so the incessant gunfire wouldn't hit her out in the open.

Faye peeked through the benches, and followed the path of the bullets up to one of the external watchtowers. A man was shooting at them from the railing, and turned towards the people under the bench. Faye hit the deck just before a hole was punched through the metal above her.

"CARL!" She pulled the boy down next to her and pointed up at the tower. "We have to get closer!" He nodded and started to inch back.

"Go! I'll cover you!" Oscar drew a small handgun and unloaded on the sniper. Faye kept herself between the kids and the gun while they ran for cover, closer to the walls for safety.

Beth looked back at Oscar just in time to see him get struck in the side and fall back gasping for breath. "NO!" She screamed in anguish, and a final bullet through his head ended it for him.

Faye pulled her close against her, against the wall. With Oscar dead, the fire stopped, and it was quiet. Faye could see Carol looking around from where she lay, and made eye contact with her. She held up a hand, telling her to stay for a moment.

The door to the block screeched open, and Maggie ran out with two rifles over her back, and two in her hands. "Beth!" She threw the two to her, and Beth handed them back to Faye, before she took the other one off and handed it off. Carol used the distraction to run to the slight cover with Faye and the kids and grabbed a rifle for herself. Maggie dove for cover behind a pile of old file cabinets before the fire started up again.

They played a game of cat and mouse, each waiting to see the other before firing, while Carol, Beth, and Faye checked over their weapons. Again, the fire stopped.

In a moment of blessed, or cursed, peace, Faye checked that nobody was hurt near her. When she turned to Maggie to ask silently, she found the brunette was watching the yard. She looked out, and saw it too.

A truck was speeding towards the gate at high speeds, with no sign of slowing down. "Oh no..." Carol murmured.

The truck crashed through the gate, and mercifully stopped before it broke through the main gate to the building. It was still quiet, and Faye was willing to bet that the man on the tower was watching as well. The ramp fell from the back of the truck, and walkers poured out and made a beeline for Hershel, still laying low in the fields.

"дерьмо...!" Faye cursed and took aim at the tower. "Maggie, take him out!" She drew the sniper's fire while Maggie took aim, and hit him across the chest.

Once he was down, Faye limped over to Maggie and traded guns with her so she could have the scope. "Carol, with me!" She waved for the woman to follow her into the same tower the enemy was in. The others scrambled to undo the gate, and clear a path for the woman and Hershel, still in the fields.

Carol made it to the top before Faye, naturally, and had already started firing at the walkers trying to get in through the gate. Faye sided up to her and was about to join, when a small commotion caught her eye.

She scoffed, "I don't believe this..." she mumbled and let off a few rounds. Daryl and Merle were back, and looked to be fighting on their side. Daryl dragged walkers from Rick and pushed him along. The three were cutting through the dead, desperate to get back inside the gate.

She was getting dizzy now that she wasn't distracted with gunfire an impending death. Her back was pulsing around the lashes, and she knew that some of the gauze was pulled off or soaked with new blood. But she was running on spite and the adrenaline spike at seeing Daryl again. Unfortunately for him, she was angry as well.

She shot down a few that were immediate threats to the men, then slumped. "Carol, what am I going to do? I'm not ready to talk to him."

Carol paused between shots. "You're gonna have to eventually. Might as well get it over with."

"We'll argue."

"I know."

"He left us."

"I know, honey."

Faye sighed and turned around to lean against the railing. She let the rifle with the wooden mount lean against her hands loosely. A few strands of hair had come loose from the braids Beth had so carefully done for her. She shut her eyes and rubbed them with her free fist, only to be reminded of the split skin on her knuckles left over from fighting the Woodbury soldiers.

"This is going to suck." She sighed.

 

Daryl and Merle slammed the gate shut behind them and hastily latched it shut. Everyone was instantly on guard against Merle, and Glenn didn't drop his gun from him. Daryl was more distracted, and looked over his family, counting faces.

"Where is she...? She didn't..." Beth shook her head and he exhaled heavily with relief.

"We have to go inside." Rick said quickly. "If there's more we can't take chances."

Small nods agreed with him and they ushered each other back to the building. Daryl, assuming Faye was inside resting with Carol, followed quickly.

Carl stayed behind with a nod from his father to wait for Carol and Faye to come out. When Faye finally did make it down the stairs, with Carol's help, Carl helped support her as well. They made it back into the commissary as Daryl rushed back from checking all the cells for Faye.

Upon seeing her, he visible relaxed, then looked concerned at her paled complexion and shaky stance. Beth set her rifle down and took responsibility for her quietly. She helped her gently and guided her back to the cells. Faye kept her head down the whole time.

Upon seeing her back, Daryl froze. Her gauze had bled through and was hanging by the scraps of medical tape or fallen off. It may have been questionable as to what had happened, but the buckle-shaped bruises on her shoulder blade and middle back painted a gruesome picture. Suddenly a lot of missing pieces clicked together; her wince, vomiting from pain, her hard refusal to talk about what happened with the Governor. He had beaten her when she wouldn't give up what he wanted.

Oh, Christ and he had left her like that. He had left her to deal with it alone.

"Oh, boy!" Merle. Fucking Merle. "He got you good, huh Missy?"

Everyone froze. Faye visibly stiffened, then popped her neck with a slow tilt to the side. She turned without Beth's help, and narrowed her eyes at the redneck. The only sound to be heard was her limping gait, sliding along the floor.

"You need to learn your place, Merle." Her glare could freeze lava. "It is not here."

"That a threat?" Merle seemed to recognize the tension in the room at last, but only sought to accelerate it. "Ain't like you're of much use now. Can't even lift a gun, let alone kick my ass."

"I don't make threats, Merle. I make promises." Her threat was hissed, like a dragon before it devours it's prey.

Daryl stepped between them and braced a hand on Faye's shoulder to keep her at bay. "Faye, he's-"

Faye shoved him back as hard as she could, and even with her weakened body, still sent him back a step. "Don't you fucking touch me like everything is okay. Like you never left!"

She kept his stare for a few more moments before turning back to Beth and grabbing her hand to pull her along. Beth looked shocked at first, but still jumped to assist Faye with getting back into the block.

Daryl made a distressed sound in the back of his throat and turned to Carol. The woman was already watching him, like she was waiting for his permission to help him. She rushed forward and took his wrist firmly to tug him towards the cells as well. The two ignored Merle's scoff and left the commissary.

"Oh, god Carol what'd I do?" His voice came out in a cracked whisper.

Carol shook her head, "You left, and now you have to make up for it. We've forgiven you, but she needs you. Even if she doesn't know it." She waved him towards the cell she knew Faye would be in and stepped away. He knew she wouldn't be any help from here on out.

He took a deep breath, and stepped into the dragon's den.

Faye wasn't mad, not really. She felt more betrayed than anything, and was dealing with it by shoving those emotions down and focusing on the pain of the disinfectant on her back.

Beth was careful, but it still stung while she dragged the damp cloth over the welts. The blonde was worried for Daryl and Faye. All this stress was a distraction from what was going on around them. They'd always been the power couple in the group, but this fight would throw off their dynamic. The stress wouldn't help them recover either.

The teen looked up at a hesitant tapping on the metal doorway of the cell. Faye didn't move.

Daryl looked hesitant, but powered out, "Faye, can we talk?"

"Leave."

He flinched. Her voice was small, and fragile. He was expecting rage and fire, but he was unprepared for that tone. She sounded defeated and so unlike her usual shameless joy and passion. But he remembered talking to Carol moments before, and pressed on.

"We need to talk about this, Faye." He tried to summon Rick's sheriff voice for confidence. He celebrated for a moment when she started uncurling and stood up, but the look in her eyes did not match the tone she had taken before.

"Beth, go back to the others." The blonde scrambled off the bed and dodged past Daryl like she was waiting for the order. Maybe she was.

Daryl took a deep breath in and met her gray eyes. "I want to explain what happened."

"I know exactly what happened." She kept her tone low and crossed her arms. "You left because you got defensive of your shit family. You didn't want a compromise, you wanted an escape."

Daryl pushed down the anger in his chest. Them both getting angry wouldn't help, but Faye was not backing down. "I'm sorry. I'm impulsive and dumb, but you knew that from the day you met me." His sad attempt at lightening the mood did the exact opposite.

"No, honestly, I didn't." Her eyes narrowed and she stalked towards him slowly. He had to back up and out of the cell. "When I met you I saw a man that felt guilty because he couldn't find a little girl before the world took her. I saw loss, and misery in your eyes. But over the winter I started to see more of you than you will know, and I respected it. Now, I see a man drowning in guilt and wailing over his mistakes. I see a man that left us." She spat out the last sentence with disgust.

He felt his anger bubbling up. "I had to leave, Faye! Don't you get that?" He stepped towards her but she didn't move, just met his gaze,unflinching. "Merle needed me, but I'm back now and I want a compromise! Does that not mean anything?"

"NO!" Okay, they were past the 'calm discussion' point of this conversation. "You didn't just leave me, Daryl. You left him!" She pointed to where Carl was sitting at a table in the Commons. "And her!" She jabbed the same finger at Beth, who flinched and turned away. "And a fucking newborn! You left them in the middle of a fucking WAR! You go outside and look at Axel and Oscar's bodies and tell me that you couldn't have helped them! All the wrong people are dead, Daryl!"

Daryl was seething. All his effort to reach a compromise was going unnoticed, and now she was tearing up. Whether she was about to cry because of the emotions flying between them or the sting of her back wasn't important to him. As far as he was concerned, this was just more manipulation to get him to stay and fight against an enemy he didn't want.

His words came out of his mouth without his permission, filled with venom and sharp as his glare. "Nobody told you to get on that truck."

Everything came to a screeching halt. Faye blinked. Carl stopped sharpening his knife. Even Judith was silent in her fussing.

Daryl's hard expression fell and he shuffled back, staring at the floor. Regret washed over him, drowning him until he could barely breathe.

"I went with you all, back at that farm, because I had nowhere else to go." It seemed she wasn't done burying him. He stayed silent and kept looking down. "Why did you stay, Daryl? Your brother was most likely dead, you barely knew anyone in the group..." Her voice was quiet, but more threatening than her yelling. He looked up at last and saw that the tears were already falling. He felt his eyes sting and his throat close up. She continued, a little louder but no more steady. "I'll tell you why. You stayed because you wanted to protect the innocence in Carl's eyes. You wanted to feel the hope that was in Rick's. You wanted to laugh like Glenn, and love like Maggie, and be brave like Carol! When you met Beth you saw a world caving in on itself and you wanted to shield her because she shouldn't feel this." Her voice wavered into a harsh whisper and she swiped at her eyes.

Daryl's chin trembled and he let out a shaking breath. "Faye, I know you must hate me but-"

"Hate you?" Faye's eyes snapped up to meet his in surprise, then desperation. "Daryl, I love you! But you couldn't even stick around long enough to hear it. So I guess it doesn't mean that much, huh?"

Daryl's heart stopped for a full second. She was just staring, waiting for a reaction. He had to do something, but he couldn't move. Couldn't think. He reminded himself to breathe.

Faye sighed sadly and turned towards the Commons. She hadn't meant to say that so suddenly. Before she could take a full step, a hand on her wrist pulled her back around. Two strong, calloused hands cupped her face tenderly and she met Daryl's shining green eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Faye." He whispered thickly, and leaned in.

His lips met her's gently, and she found her eyes fluttering shut. She leaned closer to him and he stepped to her, weaving his fingers into her braid. Her hair fell loose as she tilted her head to deepen the kiss. She was still crying, but now it was with relief.

She loved him.

"I love you, Faye." He whispered against her mouth. "I'm so sorry." She pulled him back to her and wrapped her arms around his back.

He loved her. And it was okay.


	19. In the Open

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I MCFUCKING MESSED UP.
> 
> This is the REAL chapter 19 that I wrote out of order and GOD i'm sorry. Everything is fixed now and chapter 22 will be a HEAVY smut chapter that you don't have to read if you don't wanna.

Faye had both hands on the staircase railing to help her pull herself up the stairs. She was trying to be as quiet as possible, but it was hard with the pull at her back and sharp sting of her hip. Both were healing, but not as fast as she wanted them to. If there was a war coming, she would need to fight.

But for now, she had a different battle. She and Daryl were comfortable together, but there was still tension on the subject of his brother. Faye's opinion on him was unclear, because she hated him, but wanted to make Daryl happy. She would love to kick him out or send him back to the Governor, but that would never sit well with Daryl, so she would try to make peace. 

But her promise to hit him in the nose still stood. 

The man looked up from the isolated misdemeanor cell and watched her as she pulled herself up the steps. She was a little out of breath, and in between pain pills, so she was drowsy and fully lucid, without the loopy side affects. 

She smoothed her skirt down and limped to the bench next to the entrance of the cell. "Hey." She started.

He nodded in greeting. "And what brings you down to my neck of the woods, Missy?" He kept busy with adjusting and fiddling with the straps on his prosthetic.

Faye stretched her legs in front of her and crossed her arms, not sitting like a lady at all. "Just want to get some things out in the open." 

He leaned forward and ignored his prosthetic for the moment. "I'm listening." 

"Let's get one thing clear, first." She met his eyes, "I hate you. I'm tolerating your presence because if you were to leave it would upset Daryl. I only want to tell you where I stand so you know what to expect if we get in another gunfight." 

He raised his brows at her bluntness, but she trudged on. "I think you are a violent man that can't even control himself, and until you prove me wrong, I don't want you around my kids. I won't take any risks for you in battle, but I will save you if I can. We're soldiers, not friends. понял?" 

"Okay, Missy I got it. Anything else?" He asked sarcastically, clearly taking offense to the comments.

"Nope." She sat up straight. "Now you. Tell me how you want this to work." 

"Me? What do you want me to say?" He looked surprised.

"Whatever you want." She smirked a little, "Did you think I just came in here to insult you and leave? No. You tell me how it is."

He rubbed his chin and sprawled out in a way similar to her. "I dunno. I think you're a bitch." 

She nodded, "Continue." 

"Think you ain't afraid to die."

"Go on." 

"Think you must be great in bed for my brother to stick with you."

She tossed her head back and laughed, a loud, shamless sound that ended in a snort. "We have not slept together yet. He loves me for my winning charm and dazzling smile." She shot a grin Merle's way. 

The man scoffed, but a small smile tugged on his lips. "All that charm you're blabbing about must be buried under all that stupidity. Setting the Governor on you, making him mad, that was a new level of stupid I ain't ever seen before." 

Her smile dipped a little and she glanced down at the floor. "It was better me than anyone else. I know I can take shit like that." 

"What'd ya mean?" 

She shook her head and changed the subject. "Tell me something," she turned her head to look at him. "If you had known that Rick and a baby were here, and that the Governor would kill her without hesitation, but you would get vengeance, would you still invade?" 

He was quiet. 

"This is your second chance. Don't waste it." 

She stood up with support from the gated wall and hobbled back down the steps. He was left in silence, and felt her words cloud his head like smoke.

 

Carol trailed a hand over the metal bars of the cells, wandering leisurely towards Faye's, now also Daryl's, cell. She decided to she'd just call it the Dixon's cell, because dating now was practically marriage. She slid into the doorway and drew the hunter's gaze from fixing his arrows. 

"Haven't had the chance to say I'm glad you came back." She explained. 

Daryl looked away uncomfortably and went back to fiddling. "To what? This?"

"This is our home." Carol sat down in one of the chairs in the room.

"This is a tomb." He looked back down at his weapon. "Shoulda just left when we had the chance." 

"T-Dog called it a tomb, too." She smiled fondly at the memory of the man, "I thought so too, until Faye came swinging through and worked her magic." 

Daryl chuckled, but his smile fell too quickly to be real. He was worried about her, she could tell. She decided to change the subject to something more pressing.

"He's your brother, but he's not good for you." He looked up, then back down quickly. "Don't let him bring you down. After all, look how far you've come." 

They glanced around the dirty room, complete with clothes and three backpacks just laying around. Daryl snorted and Carol joined in. 

"We're still moving in. I know she'll wanna girl everything up in here as soon as she can get up the stairs without help." He kept a small smile on his face while he thought about her. Carol, of course, noticed, and leaned forward with a grin.

"So tell me about that!" She propped her chin in her hand. "How did this become a thing?" 

Daryl blushed and looked down. "None of yer business..." He grumbled.

Carol shrugged and stood up, feigning nonchalance. "Fine. I'll go ask Faye when she's on those pills and learn all the steamy details." 

Daryl's head snapped up. "You wouldn't." 

Carol grinned, "You know I would." 

He groaned and rolled his eyes so hard his head followed the movement. "Fine. Sit your ass down." She took her seat again, smirking victoriously.

He sighed, "We had our argument, got some things cleared up, and now we're together. That's it." 

Carol blinked. "I'll ask Faye later." She stood and left before Daryl could grab her back. 

 

Faye was holding the pain pill in her hand, about to drop it into her mouth, when Carl sprinted into the block and called out that Andrea was here. Pill forgotten, Faye grabbed a rifle from outside the cell and ran outside behind Beth. 

They crept across the courtyard, waiting for signals that it was clear before moving forward. The woman was unfamiliar to Faye, but who else could Andrea be. 

"Stay." Faye hissed at Beth as she moved forward with the others. She stayed where Merle had been, at the front of the green van, and kept her focus on the trees beyond the field. With all of them in the open, it would be easy for another fight to break out. 

"Are you alone?" Rick snapped at the woman. 

She replied in a high voice, "Open the gate!" Faye turned her weapon on her. That wasn't an answer. 

"Are you alone?!" Rick yelled again. Her only answer was a desperate yell as the walkers started to notice her. Rick told Daryl to open the gate, and she jumped inside, only to be taken down again by Rick.

"Turn around!" Rick shoved her against the fence and pat her down. He tore a familiar belt with dual hatchets from her hips and tossed it back to Daryl. Faye kept her gun up at the surrounding trees and higher buildings. She was sure this was a trap. Rick pulled her up and started to lead them back inside. 

She, Daryl, and Merle backed into the block with their guns up, and only lowered them when the door was locked. She started to struggle down the stairs, but was surprised when Merle offered her his arm for support. Once she was down and in Daryl's safe hands, he moved back up the steps. 

"You good?" Daryl asked quietly and took off his bow to set on the table. Faye nodded and sat on the stool of the table. Daryl sat on the table behind her with his legs bracketing her. He passed her belt with her hatchets back to her, and she drew the blades to clean them fondly. At least one good thing had already come out of this meeting. 

Andrea hugged Carol and caught sight of Hershel's leg. "Hershel, my God..." He didn't say anything to reply. Faye could tell they were on the same page with dislike towards the woman. She had given Beth the means to kill herself, after all.

"I can't beleive this." She spun in a circle and looked at each of their faces. She lingered on Faye's when she didn't recognize her, and Daryl put a gentle hand on her shoulder, as if to say 'Mine'. Despite it all, Faye felt her mouth twitch up for a moment.

"Where's Shane?" 

Everyone shifted uncomfortably and looked away. She got the message.

"And Lori?" 

Rick's eyes visibly hardened. Carl glanced away and stepped back. 

Hershel answered, "She had a girl. Lori didn't survive." 

"Neither did T-Dog." 

Immediately she cast a look of pity and remorse around the group. "I'm so sorry." Her eyes fell on Carl and she took a step towards him. "Carl..." He just stared back, undoubtedly ready for a threat.

"Why are you here?" Faye asked with a pinprick of her accent from the pain.

Daryl squeezed her shoulder in warning. Andrea's gaze fell to the movement and she studied Faye's face carefully. 

"Do we know each other?" 

"No. We never met. Why are you here?" She kept her tone cold, a clear warning for her to just answer the question, but she pressed on. 

"No..." she pointed lazily while focusing, "You were injured. At the farm, we locked you in the shed." 

"Why. Are you. Here." Faye leaned forward and glared. 

"I had to see for myself." She looked around again, "You all live here?"

"Here and the cell block." Glenn was leaning over his rifle. 

Andrea glanced where he nodded and pointed. "There?" When he nodded she started to walk, "Well can I go in?" 

Faye flinched to lift her rifle, but Daryl pushed the weapon down. Rick had it covered and stepped in front of Andrea. "I won't allow that." He said firmly. 

Andrea looked appalled, "I'm not the enemy here, Rick!" 

Faye and Merle exchanged a look that both said 'you sure?'.

"We had that field and courtyard until your boyfriend tore down the fence with a truck and shot us up." 

"He said you fired first." She sounded genuinely confused. 

"Well he lied."

Hershel spoke, "He killed two inmates that lived here. Survivors." 

"And we liked them." Daryl's thumb ran over Faye's collarbone soothingly. "They were part of our group." 

"I didn't know anything about that." She shook her head and spun to face the rest of them, "I didn't even know you were in Woodbury until after the shootout!" 

"That was days ago." Glenn sounded exhasperated, and everyone else looked it. 

"I told you, I came as soon as I could." When she saw that she wasn't convincing anyone she snapped at Michone accusingly, "What did you tell them?!" 

"Nothing." The whole scene was like watching a married couple argue. 

Andrea still looked confused, and kept turning to find sympathy. "I don't get it. I left Atlanta with you people." She spread her arms, "And now I'm the odd man out?" 

"He tried to kill Faye and Michone, and he would have killed us." Glenn was starting to get frustrated. 

"Yeah, with _his_ finger," she pointed to Merle, "on the trigger! Isn't he the one who kidnapped you? Who beat you?!"

Faye scoffed, "Beleive me when I say that we're still working out some kinks." She met the blonde's distressed eyes, "But he was still kinder than the Governor." 

She huffed and turned back to pacing. "I cannot excuse, or explain what Phillip has done. But I am here, trying to bring us together. We have to work this out." 

"There's nothing to work out." Rick snapped. "I don't know when, or how, but we're going to kill him." 

Andrea sounded desperate, and hurt. "We can settle this..." she looked at each of them, "There is room at Woodbury for all of you!" 

Faye scoffed, which pulled at her back, and Merle chuckled, humorless. "You know better than that." 

Daryl gently pushed Faye's head down so he could check over her wounds and make sure they weren't bleeding again. Andrea eyed the gesture, but couldn't see her injuries. 

"What makes you think this man wants to negotiate?" Hershel, ever the peace maker, tried to calm the situation. "Did he say that?" 

"No." She shook her head.

"Then why did you come here?" 

"Because he's gearing up for war." She was really grasping at straws here. "The people are terrified, they see you as killers." 

Daryl finished poking at Faye's back and pulled her shoulders to sit up again. "I'll tell you what." He growled, "Next time you see Phillip, tell him I'm gonna take his other eye." 

"We've taken too much for too long." Glenn said darkly. "He wants a war? He's got one." 

Andrea huffed and turned back to Rick. "Rick, if you don't sit down and work this out I don't know what's going to happen. He has a whole town. Look at you!" She swept a hand over the group. "You've lost so much already." 

"Get us inside." Faye proposed. "Let _Phillip_ and I talk this out." She spat his name like venom.

"No."

"Then we got nothing to talk about." Rick dismissed her.

"There are innocent people!" She yelled after him, appalled, but he ignored her and went back to the cell block.

They were left in silence for a moment, all of them watching Andrea react with obvious frustration. Surprisingly, Daryl was the one to break it. 

"C'mon, Sweet Thang." He helped pull Faye to stand by her elbow. "I know ya ain't taking your meds." 

Faye grumbled but took his offered arm for support. As they turned, she heard Andrea clap a hand over a gasp. She must have seen her back. She ignored her and just let Daryl lead her into the cells. 

"That was him." Merle told her and started to follow his brother. "He wanted more than she was willing ta give, so he did that." Just before he crossed into the block, he leaned back and faced Andrea. "I'd reconsider defending that bastard, sweetheart. Or you may end up like her." 

 

Faye slept through Andrea's send off, as the pill usually made her, and woke up at nightfall with the feeling of warm lips on her forehead. She blinked her eyes open and adjusted quickly to the moonlight on the first level cell. 

Daryl gave her a small smile before standing back up and adjusting his bow over his shoulders. He must have just finished watch.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to wake ya." All the same, he pulled up a chair to sit next to her bed. "Feeling any better?" 

She pushed onto her side and then rolled to sit on the edge of the bed facing him. Her voice was still heavy with sleep and slurred with her accent. "Da. Did you see anything on watch?" She rubbed at her eyes.

"Nah. Just those dead fuckers in our front lawn." He started to pick at his nails. 

Faye grinned, "You sound like an old man. Telling kids to get off his lawn." 

He chuckled, "Jus' don't like 'em so close to us. If they break down the fence they'll close us in here and we'll starve out." 

Faye shook her head, "We won't. We'll win, I know it." She took his hand and stopped his assault on his cuticles. "All we have to do is take down his men, then he'll be a sitting duck."

He met her eyes and held her gaze until it was just barely awkward, then leaned forward to give her a long, slow kiss. 

He pulled away from her lips but pressed their foreheads together. "I love you." He spoke in that low, raspy voice that made Faye smile. 

This time, she leaned forward and met his lips. She ignored the twinge in her back in favor of the tightening she felt in her lower abdomen. He ran his fingers through her hair slowly and a moan slipped past her lips and onto Daryl's tounge. He growled in response and pushed back against her, moving more urgently. 

She grabbed fistfuls of his vest as she was tilted backwards, determined not to fall back. But Daryl was making it very difficult for her to focus on staying upright, and was leaning out of the chair and over her now. 

"Mmm, Daryl..." she pulled back and smiled apologetically. "I love you, but this won't work for another few days." 

He nodded and pulled her to sit back up. Before he released the back of her neck, he pressed his nose under her ear and whispered hotly, "Might not be able to wait, darlin'. Now that I have you," He pressed a gentle kiss to the corner of her jaw, "feels like fucking need ya." 

Faye shivered at his words and tucked her face into his shoulder. "Fucking need me or need to fuck me?" She teased him by running a hand down his chest and skimming over the crotch of his pants. 

Daryl exhaled sharply and nipped her earlobe, "Yes." Finally he pulled away completely and ticked his head to the door. "You sure you can't make it up those stairs?" 

Faye bit her lip while grinning, "I'm sure. But you could always sleep here." She pat the bed invitingly.

But he shook his head, "You crazy? Carl's next door." He left with a cocky smirk, while Faye was left flabbergasted and aroused.

She snapped out of it and huffed. "Tease." She spoke at regular volume, and heard him snort in response. 

She needed to recover quicker.

 

"I don't like it." Faye handed Daryl his saddlebags packed with food and survival supplies. 

Daryl rolled his eyes while he strapped it to his bike, "If I don't know that by now then I'm deaf. Ya only said it thirty times." 

Faye started to pace anxiously, limp only barely there now. "Well I don't! Think about it, he shoots us up, kills two of our own, and now he wants to talk peace? It doesn't make sense..." she rubbed at her lip, and didn't notice him approach behind her until he wrapped his arms around her waist. 

"We'll be okay." He said with his nose pressed into her wavy hair. "And if we're not, we'll take him down with us." 

She snorted, "I guess that's all we can really hope for. But still," she turned in his arms and slung her arms up and around his neck. "Come back home to me. Okay?" 

He nodded and leaned down for a quick peck on her lips. "I will, Sweet Thang. Ya know what would be great?" He rest his chin on her head so she was eye-level with his collarbone. "If ya made some of that sweet soup you made last winter." 

Faye laughed and slapped his arm playfully, "Typical man. Only thinking of food." 

"Well," his voice was quiet and raspy, "That and one other thing just as tasty." 

Faye looked up to meet his lips hungrily, and when he cautiously put his hand on her scarred back, she didn't flinch from pain. 

"Oh, gross!" 

The couple sprang apart like similar magnets. But it was just Carl, helping Hershel to the car by carrying his bag. The boy's face was scrunched in disgust. 

"I'm glad you guys are together, but you don't need to suck face whenever you see each other!" He slung the bag into the passenger seat.

"Who's sucking face?" The familiar southern drawl made Faye groan in irritation. Merle was grinning when he connected the dots. Daryl was staring at the ground and blushing up his neck. "Well I'll be! Ya finally grew some balls, huh Darylina?" 

Faye rolled her eyes, "What female anywhere is name Darylina? That's the laziest insult I've ever heard." 

Merle narrowed his eyes at the Russian, but before he could retort, Rick came out and commanded them apart. 

"Alright, break it up." He turned to Faye. "Watch him while we're gone. He causes problems, lock him in misdemeanor. But don't cause any of those problems." He stared her down accusingly. 

"Who me?" Faye spoke with a southern bell accent. "Well that's just about the craziest thing I ever did hear! I'm an angel. An angel, I tell you!" 

Rick chuckled at her teasing, but still warned, "Just be careful. We don't know who we can really trust." 

Faye dropped the act and nodded seriously. "Don't worry, Rick. Just worry about yourself at this meeting. And don't let his act get to you." She shifted her eyes uncomfortably. "He'll say things like 'May I?' And 'That's your choice' to make you comfortable and feel in charge. But remember that he's trying to manipulate your emotions. You have to see past the manners and pity."

Rick nodded, jaw set. "Thanks. Glenn's in charge while we're gone." 

Faye nodded and watched him get into the truck. Daryl boarded his bike and glanced at her before starting it. Carl pulled open the gate and let them drive through the field and out of the breached gates. Faye watched them until they were out of sight, praying that this wouldn't be the last time they saw each other. 

"It ain't right." Merle grumbled from next to her, staring up the road. 

Faye nodded. "For once, we agree on something." She slung an arm over Carl's shoulders and guided him inside. Merle followed a little slower, still glancing at the woods surrounding them. 

 

Faye stood off to the side of the commissary, doing some routine ballet stretches to strengthen her leg and accelerate the healing of her hip and back. Currently, she had her injured leg as high as it could go without hurting with a firm grip on her calf to hold it. The position put her leg at about a 120 degree angle, so the stretch was straining, but not painful yet. Michone and Maggie were loading and prepping the most recent weapons haul while Glenn directed everyone to strategically place ammo through the prison. Faye thought it was smart, and could save some lives. Glenn was really stepping into his leadership role. 

'Enter Merle with a dumb look on his face.' Faye thought as she lowered her leg and picked up the next one. This time she stretched it at an almost 180 degree angle. 

Merle scowled over the group and waved his hand at the pile of guns on the tables. "What we should be doing is packing a bag and taking care of the problems ourselves! Not waiting for him to hit us." 

"No, Merle." Faye said without looking at him. "We're better off waiting. Our people are out there, and we'd just put them in the crossfire." 

He looked her up and down, "The hell are you doing?" 

She lowered her leg and looked at him like it was obvious. "Stretching. I need to recover quicker." 

Carl came back from loading bullets on the catwalk. "Why are you just starting now?" 

Faye met his eyes and took a breath in before saying, "I can't tell you but you should know that the only reason I would keep a secret from you is if it would put you in danger, was about sex, or if I'm planning a surprise. I'll let you decide which one it is." 

Carl wrinkled his nose and grabbed another box of ammo to sort. Glenn shook his head at her explanation and Maggie snorted with a small smile. 

"We're not putting them in danger like that." Glenn grabbed a blowtorch and walked out of the commissary. "Those are my orders and they're final." He slammed the door behind him. 

Merle scoffed, "Ain't taking no orders from a Chinaman." 

"He's Korean." Faye lowered her leg. 

"Whatever." Merle waved her off. "I'd have thought that you would be all over the chance to kill that bastard, Missy. Especially after what he did to you and Peaches." 

Faye cracked her neck. "I would be, but not when our people are at risk. I won't risk that, no matter what he did." Maggie sighed in releif at her statement. 

"We promised Rick and Daryl that we'd stay put." Michone said strongly from where she was setting up the sights on rifles. 

Merle shook his head, "Bunch of pussies, all of ya." 

"Well, that's anatomy for you." Maggie said it so casually Faye almost didn't pay attention, but she laughed when the taunt clicked. 

Merle wasn't so amused, and scowled. "Just saying it's stupid to wait when we have a chance like this. And with my brother out there, this whole thing ain't sitting right."

Carl rejoined the room, "My dad can take care of himself." He said firmly and grabbed some more ammo. 

"Hate to tell you, kid," Faye whipped a glare at Merle, warning him not to continue, but he didn't see her. "But your dad's head could be on a pike real soon." 

Carl ignored him and left, but Faye could see the stress on his shoulders. 

"Don't say that to him." Maggie glared at him. He just shrugged off the blame. 

Faye couldn't shake off what Merle said. He was right in that they may never get a chance like this again, and Faye was itching to kill him. She knew he was an evil being, too far gone to be called a person again. She agreed that he needed to die, and she would be lying if she said she hadn't ever thought of how she would get a shot at him. This seemed too good to be true, but their people were still there. 

Faye rubbed at her lip and followed Merle at a distance into the cell block. "How would you do it?" She spoke quietly, but the block carried her voice. 

He stopped and turned back around, grinning smugly. "I knew that bloodlust of yours was too big to pass this up."

"Shhh!" She grabbed his forearm and dragged him into an empty cell. "How would you do it?" She repeat her question.

His face turned serious in an instant. "Daryl and I have some calls we'd use when we're hunting. Could tell him we're there and get clear before we hit." 

Faye nodded and paced the length of the cell, distracted, "What if he has his own men?" 

"We get you on a roof or high tree with a sniper rifle." 

She stopped to look at him, "I never said I was doing this. The plan is too risky, we could never get to him on time." She went back to pacing, "But if he is alone, we need to take this chance. And if he did bring more men, than our people will need a rescue." 

Merle inturrupted her rambling, "You seem at war with yourself, Missy." He leaned against the doorway. "But you came to me for a reason. You know it's wrong too. Ya got that feeling in your gut. All we need, is one shot." He stepped closer to her and held up a finger. "Just a split second to pull the trigger. Could be the difference between Daryl living and dying."

Faye shook her head, "But if they really are negotiating peace, we would jeopardize it. No." She decided and pushed past him to leave. "Too many things could go wrong. We are under orders to stay put for now." 

"Think about it, Missy." He grabbed her bicep and made her look at her, "Too many things already have. And they'll just keep on going wrong until we cut the head off the snake!" 

She shoved him away, "I will not risk them! I trust Rick's judgement, and will not put Daryl at risk!" She stepped closer, "Did you even think of Hershel? How do you expect him to find safety before he's killed? Or taken hostage? Too risky. No." She turned and stomped back to help with the guns. 

"Now hold on, Missy, what the hell was that?!" He followed her in a rage. Maggie and Michone looked up from working when they heard trace amounts of the argument. "You come to me, asking how we would pull it off, then get mad like I'm gonna force you onto it!" 

"Yeah, well," Faye loaded a handgun and left it on the end of the table, "Consider it a complication of the female brain." She started to head back outside.

"Dumb bitch." Merle growled and grabbed a bag to start loading guns up. Faye stopped and turned back slowly. Maggie pushed Michone back from the inevitable conflict, preparing for a fight, but Glenn came back into the block at that moment.

"What are you doing?" He asked cautiously. "You're not going, I said no." 

"I don't need permission." Merle growled and shoved one last rifle in the bag.

"I can't let you." 

"You can't stop me." 

"Merle, if you're going to live here with us you'll do it on our terms." Maggie said firmly. When Merle ignored her and started for the stairs, she tried again. "If Michone can do it, why can't you?!"

Merle stopped, and turned back to look her in the eye. "Cause that's my brother out there, that's why! The fuck is the matter with ya'll?!" When he turned back to the stairs, Faye was waiting for him at the foot of the steps with her arms crossed. 

"Step aside." He growled, inches from her face.

"We've been here before, Merle. And this time I can't promise you'll walk away with just a broken nose." She said lowly.

"I'd've thought you'd be the first to sign up for this shit, Missy." He stepped closer, but she still didn't move. "The guy cops a feel, tries to get in your pants, tears up your back and you're here stopping me from putting a bullet in him." 

Faye clenched her jaw, but was quiet.

Merle scoffed and shouldered her aside, but she grabbed his wrist and dead legged his knee. He stumbled but didn't fall, so Faye used the arm she still had a grip on to twist behind his back. His bladed hand swung, and he lost his grip on the bag of guns. Michone rushed forward and held back his arm, and Faye kicked out his knees and put him in a headlock. 

He kept struggling against them, and Faye saw Maggie holding Glenn at bay. He was trying to get at Merle, shouting profanities and trying to move around Maggie. They all froze when a gunshot punched through the block. 

Beth was left standing by the table, the pistol Faye had loaded aimed straight up at the concrete celing. The teen looked disappointed at their squabbling, and set the gun back down and left to check on Judith. The baby was crying after the shot. 

"Get off!" Merle jerked against them. "Let me go, let me GO!" Faye and Michone released him after a glance, and stepped away from his recovering form. Merle scrambled up and backed away so they were standing in a semi circle. 

"I think we can all agree on one thing." She glanced around at them, "Don't tell Rick."


	20. Justified Suicide

Rick wandered over the upper level of B Block. He could hear rummaging and slight tearing from a cell up ahead. He was surprised to see that it was Faye patting down mattresses and pulling small baggies full of white powder from small tears in the corners. "Faye? You seen Merle?"

"Yeah." She grunted while she made a small hole in the corner of one mattress. "He was grumbling about finding drugs, so I sent him on watch and decided to keep him lucid." She pulled a third bag from the folds and put it in a small grocery bag with the others. "This guy must've been a dealer. He's got more coke than padding in here." 

Rick chuckled without smiling and was about to leave when Faye pulled him back. "What did you want Merle for?" She stopped sorting and sat back on her heels. 

Rick glanced up and down the block before stepping into the cell, "In the mob, did you ever trade prisoners? If you had someone from another gang hostage, did you ever give them back for territory or anything else?"

Faye's face darkened. "We didn't keep prisoners. Why do you ask?" 

Rick ran his hand down his face and sighed. He sat down on the mattress and leaned on his elbows. Faye sat down next to him. "The Governor offered a deal." He started, "We'll set up borders on the river, if we give him Michone at the silos." 

"No." Her quick answer startled him, and he looked up to meet her eyes while she continued. "He was willing to do what he did when he knew people were coming for us. If he thinks no one is coming for Michone, he'll do worse. Besides," she hefted her bag full of drugs over her shoulder, "Who can promise that he won't go back on his word and kill us all anyway?" 

Rick was quiet while he listened to her struggle back down the stairs. He knew this was wrong, and could only end badly for them either way. He was hoping that Faye would have one of her crazy solve-all plans that she had over the winter and parts of the spring. But it looked like she was relying in him to decide how to proceed. 

He sighed and ran his hands down his face. "What am I gonna do?" He mumbled. 

Faye passed Merle on the way out of the cell block, and shot him a smile. If that wasn't suspicious, he didn't know what was. Faye knew he would be pissed when he found out she was going to scatter all his drugs to the wind and bury what wouldn't float on the breeze. She just had to make sure he didn't catch her in the act.

When he got into the block, he didn't see anything out of the ordinary, but Rick did look over the edge of the catwalk and greet him. "Merle," He started to head down the stairs. "I need to talk to you." 

"Uh oh," He said mockingly, "This about me looking for a vacation in old prison mattresses?"

Rick shook his head, "No. It's about the Governor. We need your help." 

Merle couldn't help but laugh, and moved to one of the cells to start his search. This frustrated Rick, and he followed him, asking, "Do you even know why you do the things that you do? The choices you make?"

Merle didn't respond, just slid down the wall to start tearing into the first mattress. Rick huffed in frustration and just decided to be up front about it. "If we give the Governor Michone, Woodbury stands down." 

He glanced up, now looking alert and attentive. He knew this would be important, and they would need someone bad enough and willing to pull it off. And who better than him? 

 

Daryl joined Faye in their cell upstairs after his watch. He only had a few minutes before they were heading out to fortify the field, but he wanted to check in on his woman first. She was sitting cross legged on the bottom bunk, with a map of the prison spread out over the sheets. 

"What're you doing?" He sat on the edge next to her and leaned over her shoulder to see. She didn't look up and circled a small square room on the map with a red sharpie. 

"If Woodbury does invade," she capped the marker and twisted to face him, "I want them to think the prison is haunted and not worth taking over. Rick said they only have numbers, not experience, which means his "soldiers" are probably civilians. So I'm going to make traps and splatter bloody handprints all over the walls so they freak out." With the way she was grinning, he would think she was planning a party, not a line of defense.

"You're terrifying." He bumped her shoulder and smirked.

"Mmhm. You love it." She moved to where she could straddle his thighs and ran her fingers through his hair, scratching lightly at the scalp. He hummed in agreement and let his eyes shut for a brief moment. He would have to work later. He would have to make a lot of hard decisions later. But right now, he was happy to be here with his woman. 

"...Rick told me. About the deal." Faye said softly. Daryl didn't open his eyes, but he did tense up in anticipation of what she would say next. "He won't go through with it." She slid her hands down and rest them on his shoulders. At last he blinked his eyes open and met her stormy gray ones, burning with an intensity he'd never seen before. "We won't lose anyone else, Daryl. We can't." Her voice was almost a whisper.

He nodded and slipped his hands under her tank top, not for sex sake, but just for the reassurance of touch. He rubbed over the dimples in her lower back and pressed his nose against the crook on her neck. "I know," He mumbled, "We'll fight. We'll survive. It's what we do best." 

They sat in silence for the remainder of their time together, just taking and giving comfort to each other. Faye's hands carded through his shaggy dark hair, and Daryl's thumbs dipped in and out of the curve of her spine. 

"You know what I still want?" Daryl pulled his head back so he could look up to her face. He knew she would get antsy and stir-crazy soon enough if she wasn't already. She needed something to do. "Some of that soup ya made in the winter. Was all sweet and creamy?" 

She had to think a moment, but grinned when she remembered what he was talking about. "You mean my famous on-the-go acorn soup? The one that was more dirt than spices?" 

He nodded enthusiastically. "That was the shit. I'd do anything to taste it again." He rest his chin on the soft curve of her breasts and kept smiling boyishly up at her.

"Hmm..." she let her hands run down his torso slowly. "Anything...?" Her voice was smooth and slightly accented. Just her tone alone made Daryl's cock thicken, and he cursed his poor decision to wear tighter jeans that day. 

He pulled her hips forward in answer. Faye gasped at the distinct outline of his dick through his pants and her leggings, now pressed against her inner thigh. She shifted so her own apex could slot around his member, and he groaned gently at the contact. 

Daryl's grip tightened, and he lunged forward to take her lips in a kiss. She moaned softly into his mouth, a sacred sound that he swallowed down for his own safekeeping. He couldn't help but shiver when she rolled his bottom lip gently between her teeth. He could feel her smiling when he pushed back against her. 

"Ahem." 

Faye jumped so violently she almost fell off his lap, but Daryl kept his grip on her and swiveled his head towards the open cell door. Glenn was grinning like an idiot in his riot vest, leaning against the doorframe. Faye relaxed when she saw it wasn't Carl or Beth, or worse, Hershel, and pushed her head to Daryl's shoulder. Daryl growled lowly in frustration at being inturrupted, and to cover his own embarrassment. 

"What?" He snapped at the younger man. 

Glenn held up his hands in surrender, but it was evident that he was trying not to smile. "Don't shoot the messenger! Daryl, we're ready for you out in the yard." 

Daryl sighed and nudged Faye off his lap and onto the bed. She crossed her arms and made a point to not look at Glenn, who snickered at her poutiness. Daryl grabbed his bow and slung it over his shoulder. 

"Hey," He drew Faye's attention, "Acorn soup, yeah? It's something to do." 

She sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes. "Yes, fine, I guess." She got up and breezed past Glenn, speaking quietly, "I would rather be fucked into my mattress, but I'll take what I can get." 

Glenn sputtered and gestured wildly between Faye and Daryl, asking him without words if he had heard her. The hunter shrugged and led the way out to the field. Before they parted to do their separate jobs, Faye let her hand brush against Daryl's and said softly, "Love you." He squeezed her fingers and shot her a soft smile. "Love you too, Tinker Bell." 

 

"Carol?" Faye came wandering into the commissary from their pantry. "Do we have any dehydrated milk? I'm making soup tonight and I may need your help." She kept her head down rummaging through her makeshift pouch made from folding her apron up. She had already found some paprika and salt, now all she was missing was more flavor and the slivered acorns. It would be hard to get to any beyond the fence, but she was hoping there were some squirrels nests in the broken part of the building she could raid. If she ran into any of the rodents she could make it a stew with their meat. 

Carol looked up from the sleeping baby in her arms and held a finger to her lips. "I'll go grab you some." She whispered. "Take Judith to her crib." Carol held out the baby, but Faye was already shaking her head.

"It can wait." She insisted, "Besides, my hands are kind of full now too." The bottles of spices rattled in her apron. 

Carol stared at her a moment. "You know," she looked down at Judith, "I don't think you've held her yet. At least not that I've seen. Can't imagine why." She tucked a corner of her blanket away from the infant's face. 

Faye feigned nonchalance and started to set out her ingredients. "Just busy or injured, I guess. Babies and I have never gotten along anyway." She dusted off her hands and glanced around. "Have you seen that bigger white pot?" 

He topic change didn't work. Carol cornered her by the stove and pushed Judith towards her. "You'll have to evntually. It's not like you're cursed. Come on." She held out the baby invitingly. 

Faye stared down at her pink cheeks and round face. She was cute, she'd give her that. "Okay..." Faye pulled the apron off and held her arms out uncertainly. "I've never--" 

"It's okay." Carol guided Judith's head to the crook of Faye's elbow. "Just support her head. Your arm should be under her... there!" She stepped back and smiled at the woman. "You got her." 

Faye stared down at the bundle. She hadn't woken up through the exchange, and was still sleeping soundly. The Russian chuckled softly as a smile spread over her face. "She's a lot lighter than I thought." She glanced up at Carol. She could feel her eyes watering already, but she took a breath and remembered that Nikita would have wanted her to do this. Nikita was not the only baby in the world. 

The doors to the yard opened with a loud creak and the majority of the group came in from working in the fields. Most hung up their coats and went to finish up their own tasks. The noise and commotion was muted when they saw that Judith was sleeping, but still nobody heard Merle's light footsteps on the catwalk above them. Daryl grinned when he saw Faye holding Judith and set his bow down next to the guns to take long strides over to her. 

"Lil Asskicker sleeping?" He pet the top of her tiny head gently from in front of Faye. Faye nodded and adjusted her to a more comfortable position. The movement seemed to jostle her and she started fussing a little. 

"Oh, no no no! Here!" She pushed the baby into Daryl's arms. He got her settled and she immediately stopped crying. Faye sighed in releif and stepped back like she was escaping a ticking bomb. "I'll leave the baby stuff up to you." She laughed a little and felt like a weight had been lifted from her chest. She honestly never thought she would get up the courage to hold the baby, but now that she had, she felt liberated. 

"It's good that you held her. Was thinking I'd have to carry her around until you missed me enough to get within five feet of her." Daryl teased. 

Faye snorted. "Well you can thank Carol." She took the pot she was looking for from Maggie and set it on the table to begin prepping. "Damn woman cornered me between the hot stove and the kid." 

"Good." Daryl nodded his thanks to the woman, who gave a mock salute behind Faye's back. Daryl smiled easily at her teasing. 

Merle watched his brother's happiness from over the railing and made his decision. 

 

"Son of a fuck..." Faye rubbed her temples against the wailing car alarm. "They wouldn't be that stupid, right?" All the same, she hefted up her handgun and axe to meet the sound. 

How did she get there? Acorns. She had just wanted to find some squirrel nests in the walls or ceiling for Daryl's stupid soup, and she instead found slaughtered walkers, a burlap sack, and cut wires. She knew the knife wounds to the dead walkers were Merle's, and if she knew anything about Merle, it was that he had a hero complex unlike any she'd ever seen. 

"Fucking fuck shit fuck bitch." She grit out as she picked up into a run. The alarm sounded like it was coming from a motel parking lot up ahead. As she ran she cut down any walkers she passed and tried to ignore the fact that her leg was already sore. 

After telling Beth she was taking a walk (while violently loading a gun), it had been easy enough to find their escape route. Merle had to have taken Michone on foot, because the roads out of the prison were all blocked by Governor's men. He would have gone out the back, where the wall was down, and looped around to another road. Rick had said they would meet at the silos, so she just had to find that. But she had found Merle and Michone first. 

Faye charged from the woods into the parking lot with her gun raised. The first threat was the hefty walker that looked like he was melting leaning over Merle, so she focused on that. Michone looked relatively okay for the moment, as she was slicing the head off a walker woman with her binds. 

Faye gripped the loose skin on the fat walker's shoulder and yanked him back and off of Merle. He must have been trying to hot wire the car, because he was laying on the floor next to the pedals. She hacked into the Walker's head and finished it for good before spinning to Merle. 

"Here!" She shoved her gun at him. "Get Michone!" She didn't wait for him to answer before she swung at another walker getting too close. Merle snapped out of his shock at seeing her and rushed towards the woman. 

Faye kicked a walker back and ducked into the driver's seat of the car. She managed to slam the door shut just in time, but shifted uncomfortably at something pressing into her tailbone. She pulled Michone's katana from under her and tossed it in the back seat just before Merle piled into the passenger side and Michone dove into the back. 

"GO GO GO!!" The man pounded on the dash, and Faye shifted gears and floored it. The bumper collided with two walkers, and the car jostled at the bumps. Faye kept her gaze straight ahead and shifted again, before hitting the gas again and swerving out of the lot. 

So there they were. Sitting in silence while they hurtled down a back road surrounded by forest. Faye started to irritably tap her fingernails over the steering wheel, and after a few seconds of doing so, Merle spoke up. 

"You can't make me go back." 

Faye's eye twitched, and she gripped the steering wheel hard. "I hate you. So, so, much." She said in monotone. "I think you're an idiot that went out on this suicide mission, knowing it was a suicide mission, and hoping you would go out with a bang and make a mark in the history books so your death would be justified. But for some God forsaken reason, Daryl loves you, and would be heartbroken if I let you go through with this. So you're going to sack the FUCK up, accept whatever punishment Rick comes up for you, and be a good brother for once in your God damn life!"

Merle grit his teeth and scowled. "Fuck you, you don't know nothing!"

"OH DON'T I?!" Faye's accent was in full swing while she reprimanded him. "I know that your dad was a drunk and your mom was depressed and you use that as an excuse to be an asshole!" 

"Shut up!" 

"I know you left for the army hoping it was an escape from your dad but you just added more trauma to your life because of it!" 

"Bitch, I'm warning you--!"

"I know you don't even try to talk to anyone in the prison because you think we aren't willing to forgive you when all you have to do is suck it up and say sorry!"

"ENOUGH--!" 

"I know that you left Daryl at home while you went off to rob shit! I know you left him with your abusive father without anything to do but hurt! I know you left before he could get you from that rooftop! I know if you die he'll just think you've left him AGAIN!!" 

It was quiet. Faye was breathing a little heavier and her knuckles were white on the steering wheel. Merle had frozen up and was just staring at her profile, mouth slack and eyes calculating. No one had ever been so fearless as to talk to him like that. No one had ever known him enough to try. But here was his brother's girl, in all her five foot one glory, slamming his head into the truth over and over again without fear. 

He snapped his mouth shut and faced the front again. He would never admit it, but she was right. Daryl would just see this whole thing as him trying to escape. He would blame himself and be crushed, but he would get over it. He would have to. And he would have been leaving him with good people, unlike the other times. 

"It's what needs to be done." He said with a voice like stone. "Besides, you're not really in charge here anyway." 

Faye scoffed in what sounded like laughter. "Oh, I am ABSOLUTELY in charge of this train wreck! It's like you said, I can't make you do anything but I am going to remind you of why you even followed Daryl back to the prison in the first place." 

"I followed him back because I needed a pot to piss in!" He waved his knife arm dismissively. "Daryl would be fine with you people. Don't need me." 

"I don't give a damn about whatever self-deprecating bullshit you have to vomit in my direction." She spoke harshly and turned down a side road leading into a smaller neighborhood with a lot of space between the houses.

"Hey, you wanted to know--"

"No, Merle. You misunderstand." She slowed down and kept talking while she looked around the houses. "I don't give a shit. Any shits. At all. Negative shits, if that's even possible." 

Merle scoffed and slouched in his seat. "Whatever, bitch. You don't need to know, don't know why I'm telling you." 

Faye gently braked the car and left it running. "Because no one else has ever been able to tolerate your voice long enough to listen?" She offered as she got out of the car. Merle grumbled and followed. Michone stayed in the back seat. 

"What the hell are ya doin'?!" He watched her stomping over an old house's front lawn. She would walk a few feet, shake her head like she changed her mind, then turn around and stomp again. "You doing a rain dance or somethin'?"

Faye's foot met hollow metal, and she smirked. "Even better." She grunted as she sunk to her knees and swept back the grass and top soil. "Daryl and I found this on a run back in the winter. We only took the water and MREs but I think we could use a couple of the things in here now." She revealed a rusted metal door, and pulled the latch back to open it. 

Merle looked down into the darkened hole. It was a bunker, most likely for tornado shelters, with concrete walls and two metal cabinets on either side of a cot. A circular hole in the corner must have been a bathroom. 

Faye stood up and gestured for him to go ahead. "Can't have you locking me down here and going to the Governor anyway." She explained. Merle grunted and figured she wouldn't lock him down there if she went to all he trouble to drag him back to the prison. He jumped the five feet down to the dimly lit shelter. 

"Look in the cabinets. I think they may still be there but you need to make sure." Faye called down and pointed to the metal boxes. 

"What am I looking for?" Merle still moved towards the boxes and opened the doors. He grinned at what was inside. "Oh, you're devious, Missy." 

Faye chuckled, "They were too heavy to carry on the road, and we didn't need them until now. But after everything we've been through, I think a little explosions will do us some good." She stood up and dusted off her knees. "Hurry up. We still have to get acorns for dinner."

 

"Sir," Morales reported to the Governor, "They're not coming. It's almost noon." 

The man in charge sighed. "Alright." He waved to his men, "Load up! We're taking the fight to them. Split into two teams, one from the front, a smaller one from the sides." He hauled into one of the trucks while the rest boarded their vehicles. He had known this was a possibility, but really hoped they would be sensible so he could kill them all off at once. 

Aw well. 

"When we go in," He told Morales as they tailed a larger jeep in front of them, "We take them all out. I won't have any one man escaping and taking down my community." 

The driver of the jeep in front of them didn't notice that they were approaching a landmine in the middle of the road. 

Morales nodded, then squinted at the road. Up ahead, he swore he saw a figure dart through the bushes. "Sir, I think--" Then the car in front of them was blown into a flip across the road.

 

"Daryl!" Beth stopped him in the commissary before he could head back into the cell block to look for Faye. She ran up to him with Judith on her arms and said quickly, "Faye left." 

"What?!" He snapped. If she knew about the deal, she could have been trying to leave and negotiate peace. He wouldn't put it past her. "How long ago did she leave? Did she say where she was going?" He demanded while he started to grab weapons from the table. 

Beth shook her head, "I'm not sure. More than ten minutes. I couldn't find you or Rick and she took a gun. She looked angry. She's not trying to take him on herself, is she?" He forced himself to calm down and gripped her shoulder in the same way that Rick would. 

"I don't know." He answered honestly. "But we'll get her back." Beth nodded and shushed the fussing baby. Daryl stroked the infant's head soothingly before he rushed out of the prison to find Rick before he went after her. 

He had barely exit the block before Rick cornered him. "Daryl, we aren't doing it. We can't." He said sternly.

Daryl ran a hand down his face. This was too fucking complicated. "Faye left. I think she's gonna try and negotiate peace or somethin'."

"And now I can't find Merle or Michone." Rick's eyes widened as he came to a realization. "Oh christ, she went after them to stop it." 

Daryl's pulse picked up. Both his brother and his woman were in danger and he had no idea how long they had been or where they were. "We gotta go after them!" 

"We will." Rick nodded firmly. "We'll get a team together and--" He was cut off by what sounded like an explosion and screeching tires from up the road. A large puff of smoke traveled up from the trees, and it was quiet again.

"What the hell was--?" Daryl's question was inturrupted by another explosion, this time on a side road on the prison, and the similar sound of tires squealing, and crashing. This time he could see a tree shake where the unseen vehicle must have hit. 

"EVERYONE INSIDE!!" Rick ordered and shoved Daryl back towards the building. "If they're attacking, we need to get to cover, now!" 

Daryl let himself be shoved into the commissary, followed by Carol and Maggie, who were on duty. But when Hershel slammed and locked the door, he tried to get back out. "Rick, Faye's still out there! For all we know she could be fighting, too!" 

Beth looked up, startled, "Faye's outside?!" Hershel comfort her quietly. 

"Where's Michone?" Glenn asked nervously after looking over the group.

Rick sighed and put his hands on his hips. "When I went to the Governor, he made me a deal. He said they'd leave us alone, if we gave him Michone." The group was shocked, and he spoke over the commotion to be heard. "I should've told you, I know. Merle tried to finish the deal and we think Faye went after him to stop it. That first night, after the farm, I thought this would only work if we had a leader. I thought it had to be me, but I was wrong. Your safety, all our safety, isn't just up to me. So we vote. We vote to stay or go, and we do it." He drew his Python, "But right now, we gotta fight. Those barricades won't hold them back for long."

It took everyone a moment to snap out of their shock at the news, but soon enough they were scrambling for weapons. Daryl was determined to find Faye and Merle. Separately, they were forces of chaos that couldn't be stopped. Against each other, he imagined a scenario similar to and unstoppable force meeting an immovable object. Bottom line was that he had to find them. 

_Knock knock knock!_

Everyone froze and looked towards the block door that led out to the yard. Nobody moved except for glancing to one another. "Are they here already?" Beth whispered. 

_Knock knock knock knock knock knock!_ Someone was insistent. 

Rick waved everyone back and nodded for Daryl to follow him up the stairs. He counted down silently before throwing it open and pointing his handgun right between Michone's eyes. 

She blinked, and went cross-eyed looking at the barrel. "Rick, it's been a long day." She said slowly, and he lowered his gun quickly. Faye and Merle stood behind her, and all sported the same appearance of dirt and soot blown across their fronts and mud splattered on their faces. It looked like they were very close to the explosions when they hit.

Faye pushed past Rick, kissed Daryl on the cheek before he could react, leaving a black kiss mark, and descended the stairs behind them. "We're back! And I found acorns!" She announced with a grin. Her smile looked scary, teeth a sharp white contrast to her dirty gray face. She had the hem of her shirt pulled up to use as a pouch for what must have been dozens of nuts.

"What the hell happened?" Daryl snapped at his brother. 

Merle held up his dirty hands in surrender, "Slow down, little brother. Me and your woman were just having a little chat, is all."

"After you shoved a bag over my head." Michone said darkly from where she was pulling off her katana. She sighed heavily and sat at one of the tables.

Merle grinned and shrugged. Rick addressed Faye, "What about those explosions?" 

"Landmines." She gestured at Daryl. "We found them last winter but they would have just taken up space if we took them." 

"I remember." Daryl spoke sharply and left Merle at the door to march up to Faye. His releif was quickly melting away into frustration. She should have found him or Rick as soon as she saw that they were missing. This wasn't the first time she had left without telling anyone where she was going, but he was sure as hell going to make sure it was her last. 

"You couldn't have told me what the hell was going on? You just ran off again!" He had her cornered in the stove area, where she stood with her back to him and busied herself with heating up water for the stew she was still dead set on making.

"This time was different, Daryl." She didn't look him in the eye, but kept working. "If Merle had already made it to the silos with Michone, more people than me could have gotten hurt." 

He was fuming by now. "How is it better that you die without backup?! Or if you got captured again?!" 

"Better me than Michone, Beth, Carl, Rick, Carol, Maggie, Glenn, or you." She tried to keep her voice level, but frustration was creeping through. "I was wrong to not tell you where I was going, but if he had gotten you instead of me, he wouldn't take prisoners." 

Daryl groaned and ran his hand down his face. "Damnit, Faye, you can't just jump in front of every bullet that comes our way!" 

She slammed a washcloth onto the counter and spun to face him. She was at least eight inches shorter than him, so it would have been funny if they weren't generating a fire between their glares. "This isn't about that!" 

"The hell it isn't!" He crowded her even more, but she stood her ground. 

"Look," she grit out, "Because of my little "walk" two vehicles full of the Governor's men are gone! Possibly even the man himself! That's more than you got done when you left! He was coming out here to kill us all because we didn't deliver Michone, and excuuuse me if I couldn't let that happen, and had four military grade shrapnel mines!" 

"That doesn't matter, you could've gotten hurt!" 

"Well I didn't! And I also made a stop to get your fucking acorns for your damn soup!"

"I don't care about the soup!"

"Then why the fuck did you ask for it?!" 

"I didn't want you to go fucking stir crazy and set off fucking land mines!" 

"We're fighting a damn war, why shouldn't I?!"

"Because I fucking care about you, you piece of shit!" 

"I love you too!"

" _Good_!"

" _Fine!_ "

Daryl spun back around and pushed past Merle to grab his crossbow and head back towards the cell. He stopped by the doorway and leaned back to see as much of Faye as he could. "I caught some squirrels earlier. Do you want them for a stew?" His voice was sharp, but nowhere near as angry as when they were face to face.

Faye thought for a moment, then shook her head and looked up from shelling the nuts. "We'll cook it but I already started soup without milk so it wouldn't be as good. It'll work as a side dish, though." She calmed down to normal tone and volume as she spoke. 

He nodded and went back to the cells. Faye went back to the soup. 

Merle glanced around at everyone's slack faces and shocked expressions. He scoffed a laugh, "Did they make up or what?"

Faye quirked an eyebrow at her work. "He just remembered that I wasn't the first one to run away with a one armed jackass in the middle of a war." She dumped a hand full of slivers into the pot. They sunk with a few pathetic sizzles and pops. "Empathy is a powerful thing." 

Everyone stayed clear of them the rest of the evening, even though they laughed and leaned against each other at dinner like everything was normal.


	21. Uneven Odds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *shows up two months late with Starbucks* "Sup?"
> 
> Really though it's good to be back. There was a lot of issues with life and shit and my parents figuring out I was bi before I got the chance to come out on my own terms was one of the biggest factors of my absence. I'm doing okay but still, have a lot of responsibilities. Good news: I have a solid plan for this story and have already written the smut chapter. Hopefully, I can start scheduling a real update schedule so you don't forget about me! 
> 
> Follow me on Tumblr at mysteryelle
> 
> (Also, ya bitch got Grammarlyyyy~~!!!)

"Faye, this is great," Glenn said while he was leaning over the plans she had sketched on the map. "But what do these notes say?" He pointed to a few lines of Russian script on the edges.

Faye leaned over Judith to see and hold her with one arm while she pointed. "Well, I wanted to put walkers here, bloody handprints on the walls here, and make it look like a murder scene here." She pulled her hand back and supported Judith's rump again. 

Rick blinked and said in a monotone, "Yeah, we're not doing that."

Faye shrugged, "Fair enough. I think we should still do walkers though. It'll still make them think that the place is empty. And the alarms will freak them out, too." She handed Judith off to Daryl to hold and took the pen from Glenn. "Here, if they stay in one group," she drew a line down the halls, "Then they'll come out the front of the prison so they'll just leave." 

"Carol and Merle will close off the doors in A block to herd them deeper into the tombs." Rick took the marker from her and drew two X's on the halls, then traced a line to the generator room. "When they close them off behind them, Michone will drive them down this hall with grenades and walkers. Then they'll come back out to the courtyard. That's where Maggie and Glenn will be." 

"We'll have the riot gear on and fire randomly to get them out and running scared," Maggie said. "We'll be on the bridge behind the palates." 

"I can take out their guns in the army jeep." Faye tapped the field. "If they have it guarded, I want Rick and Daryl either with me or on the roof with sniper guns. We want the tires intact, right?" She looked to Rick, who nodded.

"We want them out as fast as possible." He rolled up the map. 

"Should let the chain on the last gate hang slack," Merle spoke up but didn't meet any eyes. "Chances are they'll ram it with a vehicle. If it's locked it'll take the gate down."

Rick stared at him and agreed. "You and Carol do that, then get in position. Hershel," He clapped a hand on the man's shoulder, "Drive far enough out to where they won't find you coming in. When this is over, I'll call you on the radio." 

Hershel nodded and limped back towards the cells to start loading up in case they had to flee. As people were dispersing, Daryl nudged Rick with his elbow. "Rick, can you hold Faye out of the field? She's still hurt." He kept his voice low and back to the woman while she armed herself. 

Rick shook his head, "She's the only one besides Merle that knows how to jam a turret. And I can't trust Merle until we see that he stands with us for sure." 

"Then I go with her." He could understand Rick's caution, but he just wanted to make sure he got Faye out alive. "That way I can watch her back." 

"You're not scheming behind it, are you?" Faye had a teasing smile on her lips and no real anger in her eyes.

"You're still hurt. I don't want you getting bit because of a gimp leg." He turned to face her, and she distracted herself with letting Judith grip her finger.

"No, I agree! I'm at about seventy-two percent right now and might screw something up." 

Daryl sighed in relief. "Thought you were gonna try and fight me on that." 

She scoffed, "I only fight you when you're wrong, Caxap." She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him slowly. Daryl's arms were full of the baby so he tried to express his concern in his kiss. She barely pulled away and ran her fingers through his shaggy hair. "I love you." She said quietly.

"I love you." He kissed her one more time before pulling away. 

○○○○○

"Heads up." Maggie's voice whispered through the radio. "Here they come." 

Faye and Daryl saw it. Rick had the binoculars, but it was really hard to miss the giant fucking fireball that used to be their guard tower. Faye slapped Daryl's arm while the enemy cleared the yard of walkers. 

"Babe, I know we don't really celebrate birthdays anymore, but if you ever decide to get me something," she pointed down at the launcher, "I can think of a few uses for that." 

Daryl shot her a look and went back to looking over the edge of the roof. They were all three laying down as low as they could while still being able to see the small army move towards the gate. As Merle predicted, they broke through the inner gate with their vehicle and left it swinging open, and Faye saw him.

The Governor was a distance away, but he looked unhinged. He had two automatic weapons and a longer coat over his usual slacks and dress shirt. Faye felt her fists tighten against the gravel on the roof, but not out of fury; out of fear. She was terrified of that man, and never wanted to be near him ever again. 

Usually, she could ignore her fears, but he had shoved himself to the forefront of her thoughts with every moment she knew he was alive and coming for them. It was why she pushed herself to recover, why she charted escape routes and made booby traps for the prison, and why she risked her life to keep Michone from falling into his hands. At least she didn't dream, so he couldn't haunt her in nightmares. 

Daryl placed his hand over her's, and her fist relaxed. She glanced at him and saw the silent question if whether or not she was okay to go out there. She nodded in answer and turned her hand over so they could interlace their fingers. 

Rick watched the remainder of the townspeople regroup in the courtyard, and follow Morales into cell block C. "Alright," He chipped in on the radio. "Carol, Merle; you're up." 

○○○○○

Merle clicked the radio off in response, so their position wouldn't be given away. Carol dodged down one of the darkened hallways, bent low, and waited behind an open door, just before the army came through the cells. Michone was waiting further in solitary, with the rest of their smoke grenades and a few rounds in her automatic. Merle had to hand it to the woman, she had guts taking on the most dangerous job in the plan.

Merle ran ahead quietly to close off the doors to A-Block. They would be filtered through the dimly lit halls until they met the walkers from the unblocked areas, then driven straight out. It would be simple if they weren't seen sneaking back down to turn on the alarms. The objective was to induce panic, not kill anyone.

It took everything Merle had to muffle his laughter when he watched the group freak out at the alarms. They scattered like ants, leaving the leaders of the militant group looking like exasperated mothers. Their command fell apart in an instant, and they were forced to follow the panicked civilians out to the courtyard. He was only disappointed that he didn't see the Governor clearly enough to get an accurate shot.

Carol rejoined him in his hiding space a few seconds later, having come from the power room. She wore a bright grin on her face and did a small dance that looked like a shimmy, only making it harder for Merle to restrain his laughter. 

Instead, he flipped the radio back on and spoke into it, unable the keep the smile out of his voice, "We're done here Peaches. They're heading to you next." 

○○○○○

"Shit...!" Maggie cursed and looked down the catwalk at Glenn, trying to convey why the townspeople coming out early was bad. Faye and Daryl were still in the fields.

They had run out as soon as the last soldier entered the prison and were currently climbing the truck towards the turret gun. 

"Hold back, I repeat, hold back!" Faye's voice crackled through the radio. "Proceed as normal, we'll be fine!" 

Maggie scowled but knew she was probably planning something she didn't have time to explain. So she continued as they planned and tilted the scope of her gun down towards the entrance to Cellblock C. 

Faye tossed the radio to Daryl and took a few steps back. Daryl saw where she was going with it and tucked the walkie back on his belt and interlaced his fingers. As Faye ran the few steps towards him he squat down and caught her foot, pushing her jump higher so she could clear the back of the tall truck. 

She landed with a heavier thump than she would have liked, and winced at the pull in her leg and across her back. She didn't have time to dwell on it because the alarms were sounding and the army would be out soon. She rushed towards the turret and pulled the safety back, then yanked the strip of ammo back, so the leather wrap tore in the gun. 

After fucking it up horribly, she slid down the windshield and dropped off the hood into Daryl's arms. He caught the back of her knees and dropped her back down to the ground, but was immediately pulling her around by the hand and diving towards the taller grass. 

She glanced back towards the building and sound of gunshots and saw that Maggie and Glenn had started to fire on the intruders, drawing their attention from where Daryl was crawling over her to shield her from sight. 

She kept her face tilted into the crook of his neck and listened closely for anyone that seemed to notice that they weren't dead walkers. She heard the confused shouts of whoever was on the turret, then the grinding of the tires on gravel peeling out of the yard. 

Daryl stayed atop her for a few seconds after the sound of engines vanished, then cheers echoed from the prison. The two sighed in relief, and before Faye could process him moving, Daryl was kissing her. She was surprised at first, but relaxed quickly and let her lips soften. She had just slipped her tongue in his mouth, startling a moan from his chest, when they were interrupted.

"Darylina! Quit fucking in the field!" Merle yelled from the gate. Daryl huffed irritably, even though his face and neck were beet red. They had barely been kissing for more than three, maybe five seconds! Faye was ready to get him alone and just ride his dick into the sunset, already. 

But for now, he stood above her and extended a hand to help pull her back up. She felt her back stretch and sting, and the back of her shirt felt cold and damp. "Ah, fuck." She twisted to try and see the wet spot, and sure enough, she was bleeding again. 

Daryl took it with less grace. His eyes widened and he said in a slight panic. "Oh. Oh shit." He stepped, closer, then back, then settled for peering at the small bloodstained area of her mid back. "Sorry, Faye, shit I didn't mean to."

"It's fine," she waved him off. "Not your fault." She still flinched a bit when she walked. "I did fuck up my hip more." She kept limping with Daryl's support, but the walkers starting to amble back into the yard made him nervous. He ignored her indignant whine when he picked her up bridal style and increased his pace towards the safety of the gated area. 

Glenn rolled it shut behind them while Daryl set her down gently. Faye was grinning, even though he could see a strain in her brow from standing. Maggie rushed to pull her into a one-armed hug, and although it was gentle, Daryl could see Faye visibly pale from it. 

"We did it," Rick said, eyes on the fading dust settling from the vehicle's tires. "We drove them out." 

"We should finish it," Glenn said darkly. 

"Finish it?" Maggie glanced at the faces around her, "Isn't that what we just did? They just hightailed it out of here!"

"Nah, Peaches. I'm with yer boyfriend." Merle drawled, "He'll regroup and head back. 'Specially if he lost some people." 

"Then let's go." Faye sounded impatient, "We take them out when they least expect it. If we go in when the sun sets in a few hours, we can sneak in and get to the soldiers easier." 

"Faye, you can't go." Glenn sounded worried, and Daryl agreed.

"Ya tore your back again." He pointed out, "And you were limping so bad I had to carry you." 

Faye huffed irritably, "I'm fine. I want to help!" 

"You stay. Be our defense." Rick stated firmly. "Let's get the others."

Faye looked ready to protest until he mentioned Carl and Beth, then she was ready to hold them tightly and never let go. With Daryl's support, she made her way back to the building with the rest of the group.

When they made it back to the commissary, Faye had to sit at one of the tables with an exhausted sigh. Daryl hovered awkwardly until she told him with a small smile, "I'm fine, babe. But can you grab my pills?" 

Daryl drew his brows and grumbled while he headed back into the cell blocks, "If you were really fine you wouldn't need the pills..." But he was still doing as she asked, so she let it slide. 

Beth stopped in front of her with Judith cradled in her arms, and she held the baby out to the other woman. Faye cradled her head and shushed her back to sleep gently. Beth shook her head, "I don't get it. She sleeps for you, eats for Daryl, and only wants to be held by me." She sounded legitimately confused, making Faye laugh a little.

"Well, when you have seven parents I guess you don't have to settle for second best." She smiled fondly down at the baby, but even Beth could see the underlying worry. "I think we're going to take the fight to Woodbury. Today."

Beth looked down in thought, then resigned herself to sitting next to her on the bench. "Are you going?" Her voice was small.

Faye sighed and pulled her in with one arm around her shoulders. "No, I don't think so. I tore up my back a bit in the field and Daryl's freaking out. I'm talking full mother hen." As soon as she finished talking, the man himself approached with her pill bottle and a water bottle.

"How many of these are you supposed to take?" He squinted at the label. 

Faye traded him the bottle for the baby, and he cooed down at her. "For fun or pain?" Daryl's expression could only be described as a pure bitch face, so Faye laughed to convey she was joking. "I'll only take one for now, so Hershel can stitch me back up and poke at me without it hurting. I was taking two when I first got back, though."

Beth scrunched her nose, "I'm almost positive that's not how it works." 

"Oh yeah?" Faye leaned forward, "And have you ever taken," she squinted at the bottle, "Percocet before? No? That's right, I'm the adult." She emphasized her point by spilling a few of the drugs on the floor. "Shit." 

Beth rolled her eyes and knelt down to help her pick them up. Daryl sighed heavily and wandered back to talk to Rick. When they finished, Beth dumped the drugs into the bottle and glanced over to where Carl was unpacking. "Faye..." she said softly and sat next to her. She kept her voice down and leaned closer to speak. "Carl shot one of the Woodbury folk."

Faye's eyes widened in surprise, and Beth rushed to assure her, "None of us were hurt, but...he was surrendering, and Carl just shot him. Right in the eye." She looked more worried than traumatized, but Faye still pulled her into a hug. 

"I'll talk to him." She assured the teen while she stroked her hair. "It'll be okay."

Beth nodded and leaned into her shoulder to rest a bit. Faye kept an arm around her and rubbed up and down her arm. Carl killing was something to worry about, for sure. He was barely thirteen, maybe fourteen at most. While the world was very cutthroat and ran in a survival of the fittest fashion now, it felt like Faye had failed him somehow. She could only imagine how Rick felt, as he too was unable to shield his son from the worst of the world. 

While Faye was lying facedown on what was now deemed the medical cell, Daryl came to check on her. Hershel glanced up from padding up her back with gauze but didn't say anything. 

"Hey, hot stuff." Faye smirked with half her face in the pillow, "What's going on?" 

Daryl didn't even react to the nickname. "Rick, Merle, Michone, and I are goin' to Woodbury. We should get there by nightfall and be back tomorrow." He sounded solemn.

Faye sat up delicately with the blanket pressed to her bare chest and turned to sit on the side of the bed. Daryl bent at the waist to hug her tightly, mindful of her injuries. "Come home to me." She said softly in his ear. 

He pressed his nose and mouth into the crook of her neck and tried to just memorize her scent, in case he needed comfort. "I will," He said back just as quietly. Then only pulled away long enough to draw her lips to his. 

They parted reluctantly, but both knew it couldn't last forever. Daryl smiled softly at her, returned by her own smile, before slipping from the cell.

"He'll come back, you know." Hershel comforted her while she laid back down.

"I know." Her reply was muffled, "If he doesn't I'll kill him myself." 

○○○○○

When Faye was stitched up again and on just enough painkillers to limp back out of the cell, she went looking for Carl. She found him outside the prison, in one of the guarded off cages sharpening the same knife he always was. Faye didn't think she'd ever seen him use it. 

She didn't say anything in greeting, just got to the ground next to him and sat. He continued to sharpen his knife, and she picked at grass growing through the cracks of the concrete. 

"Do I have to hug you again to get you to talk to me?" She turned her head and met his lowered eyes. "Or are you just going to tell me exactly what happened out there, and in here?" She flicked the top of his hat. 

He paused in between drags of the whett stone, and slumped. "Dad didn't kill Andrew, and he came back and killed mom." He said softly in monotone. "He could have done the same. It's good that there's no chance of that now."

Faye hummed and nodded. "Do you feel good?" 

Carl shook his head mutely. "That doesn't matter. He was a threat and he's gone now." 

"Oh, Carl," Faye shifted to her knees so she was facing him, "Of course it matters. You're important, and don't need to feel like you aren't." Carl was quiet and went back to sharpening his knife. Faye sighed and leaned back. "It was a good goal, but there was no way you could have survived this world without killing. If it was between you and him, I'm glad it was you that walked away." 

"Dad doesn't care. He thinks I was wrong." He swiped the blade down with a sharp _shirk!_

"Well, you were, in some ways." She ignored the way he snapped his gaze to her face with frustration radiating off of him. "He was surrendering. Who knows, maybe he was good. But at the same time, he could have betrayed us." She looked him in the eyes. "What's done is done, but you need to know that we're kind of short on good people now. People like us are worth taking those kinds of risks."

Carl suddenly looked guilty and turned his eyes down again. "We need a way to sort them then. So killing isn't the only safe way to stay alive." He grumbled and started sharpening again. 

"Hm." Faye stood up, "That's a good idea. You should talk to your dad about it."

He glanced at her retreating form while she limped back down the stairs. She was still badly hurt but healing fast. She was right, and their talk took his anger down to a simmer. Now he was just frustrated. At what, he wasn't sure. Maybe himself.

○○○○○

Faye was woken up the next day with the impact of a pillow on her head. She had trouble sleeping, with Daryl gone and her wounds freshly open, it was hard to get comfortable. But when she did finally go down, it felt like she blinked and then the sun was up. 

"Faye, wake up," Beth called from the doorway with a grin. "They're back!"

She was struggling out of the bunk in the next minute and pulling a shirt on quickly. Beth waited for her, bouncing on her toes, and helped her down the steps as fast as she could manage. She picked up a fussing Judith on the way and cooed her back to sleep easily before pushing the steel door open.

Out of all the things she was expecting to find outside the prison, an armored bus was not one of them. People were filing down the stairs slowly and looking around before wandering towards the cell block. They were all mostly either old or women, with a few kids among them. 

She stopped Merle before he could go inside. "Merle, what is this?"

He scoffed and glanced back at the group. "Officer Friendly got a little too friendly this time around." He continued into the block with a scowl. The Woodbury people parted for him, but all looked at him with anger, not fear. 

Faye made a note to figure out if that would be her business later on and located Daryl by the truck. She left Beth to help some of the elderly up the steps and made her way towards him. Before she could reach him, however, she was stopped by a taller black woman she didn't know. 

"Hey, glad to see you up and around." She smiled like they knew each other. The confusion on Faye's face must have tipped her off, because she explained, "Oh, my brother and I were here before. We gave you some medicine after we saw you get carried in. You looked pretty out of it so I'm glad you're okay." 

"Oh," Faye remembered Carl and Hershel talking about the other group that wasn't in the prison for too long. "Your brother is Tyreese? Carl said something about you all." 

"Yeah, you got it," she held out her hand, "I'm Sasha."

Faye adjusted Judith and shook her hand firmly. "Faye. Can you tell me what is going on here?" She waved vaguely to the mass of newcomers.

Sasha's face darkened the Governor killed his soldiers. He's a madman. Rick took the other residents back here in case he went back to the town to finish the job." 

Faye nodded. "I'm glad you're all safe now. Welcome to the prison." She shook her hand again with a smile but yanked her closer to where their foreheads were almost touching. "If anyone tries to lay a hand on my family, I will tye them to the other side of the fence and watch them get stripped to the bone. Understand?" Her tone was low and promising. 

Sasha gulped and nodded mutely. 

Faye grinned, "Great! Tell your friends." She stepped away and waved back over her shoulder. "And thanks for the medicine, by the way."

Sasha muttered "What the fuck...?" under her breath, and spun to see if anyone bore witness to the threat. From what she could tell, nobody saw or heard. She cleared her throat and straightened her shirt before moving to help her brother settle people down. 

This would certainly be an interesting living situation. 

"Caxap!" Faye stepped up behind Daryl and pressed her forehead between his shoulder blades. "I missed you. I'm glad you're back."

He turned to face her and the corners of his mouth twitched up. He leaned down slowly and said in a low tone, "It's good to be back, Tinker Bell." He kissed her lazily for a few seconds and drew back to glance down at Judith. "And how's lil' Asskicker?"

"She missed you, too," Faye held her up for Daryl to take gently. "She's probably hungry, and we know she only eats for you sooo..." 

"Yeah, yeah," He rolled his eyes, "Picky little princess, aren't you?" He stroked the small tufts of hair on her head back with a finger and looked down at her with a soft expression. 

He glanced up at Faye, whose gray eyes were already locked on his. She smiled brightly, and he had to return the grin. 

God, it was good to be home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously, I want you guys to know I keep every email notification for a comment or a kudos. Even with all the crap happening, to see your appreciation has meant the world. Feel free to like comment and subscribe for more bs! 
> 
> As always, I love you babes <3


	22. Well Deserved Break

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Take your smut ya filthy animals *throws this at you from outside the cage*

It had been one week, exactly seven days, since the Woodbury elders ruined Faye's life. She was still recovering, so she was limited to indoor and non-strenuous work. By now, she was good enough to work on the fence for short amounts of time, which helped with the construction of the new gate, but she was still mostly inside. 

But the old people were inside too. Along with the bane of her existence, Mrs. Princely. When she wasn't telling Faye to sit up straight, which hurt, she was telling her to hurry up and help her do whatever else because breathing and complaining were just about the only thing she could do on her own. 

She would go to the fences to escape and purposefully get gross and sweaty so the Woodbury people would avoid her. They hadn't been on the road for a while and seemed to have forgotten that life was gross. 

But she could never stay out for long, lest Daryl see her exerting herself and sling her over his shoulder to throw back into bed. And not, to Faye's dismay, in a sexy way. 

After a particularly rough day, filled with walker buildups, deep scrubbing, and snappy old ladies, Daryl came into their cell to find Faye in the same position he was going to get into. She had just threw off her shirt and kicked her boots off somewhere before flopping spread eagle across the mattress. 

They had sawed the top bunk off and zip tied the stands together, so the two twin beds resembled a full bed. It was also Glenn's idea to put plywood scraps across the cell bars, so the rooms had more privacy. It had taken he and Daryl an entire day to make doors for those who wanted them. But Faye was still spread over every inch of the mattresses. 

Daryl huffed and set his crossbow down quietly before shrugging off his vest and getting to work on his belt. He abandoned everything but his undershirt and boxers and roughly shoved her over before taking her place. 

"Hmm..." Faye sat up and blinked against the dim light of the cell. "Wasgoin'-?"

Daryl put a hand on her head and pushed her face into his chest, "Shhhhh...." He threw a leg over her thighs. "Go to sleep."

Faye hummed before nuzzling into his chest and sighing. He must have just showered before his watch. She could still smell body wash and shampoo masked by his usual musk. The scent lulled her back into a comfortable sleep.

"Good morning, Dixons!" 

Daryl startled awake at Carol's voice and had to blink against how bright the room was. The sun must have been up for hours if it was this light out. The dusty windows of the cell block streamed sunlight directly into his eyes, and he groaned. He heard the noise echoed somewhere to his left, and only then did he notice the weight on his chest. 

In the night, they had adjusted to being diagonal across the mattresses with Faye draped face first over his chest. He had a hand on her ass, and one of her hands was on his chin with her thumb halfway past his teeth. Their other hands were intertwined next to their hips. The whole thing was just super awkward. 

"Faye...get up," His order was degraded by the yawn at the end. "We slept in...gotta work." 

Her answering groan sounded so defeated and fussy he was reminded of Judith. She rolled over onto her back and across his thighs, eyes still closed and lip pouting. 

Carl snorted from where she was still standing in the doorway. "I let you sleep in. You deserve a day off and you've almost slept it away!" She glanced at the sun outside, "It's probably noon by now. I split your schedules between a couple of other people so you could spend the day doing...whatever. Have fun!" She waved her fingers and shut the cell door.

The sudden slam made Faye actually sit up, startled. She wiped a spot of drool from her chin and adjusted the strap of her bra before glancing around the significantly darker cell. "Who was that?" Her voice was thick with sleep and her accent. 

"Carol," Daryl sat up as well and rubbed his eye with a fist, "says we got the day off, but it's almost noon already." 

Faye looked awake now. 

She grinned and scrambled back the bed to straddle his knees. Daryl blinked at her sudden enthusiasm, and his question as to why she was suddenly so awake was answered when she started tugging at his boxers. 

"Whoa whoa, wait!" He grabbed her wrist and --holy shit did she just growl?-- "What are you doing?"

"Sucking your dick." She said bluntly. He choked a little. "Is that a problem?" She raised a brow, the question of consent silent but in the air. 

"Y-yeah, jus'-" He gently pushed her back to arm's length. "Can we, um... brush our teeth first? We got morning breath." 

That...was, not a bad idea. Not what she expected, but not a bad idea at all. 

"Okay," she nodded and got off the bed, "Da, good idea. But, just to be clear," she spread her hands in front of her like she was surrendering, "You are okay with fucking?" 

"Hell yeah, you kidding?" He stood as well and laced their fingers together. "Been wanting to since the farm." 

"Naughty," she smirked, "Would you like me tied up, Daryl? Totally for you?" She traced her eyes up his neck and saw him swallow. 

His voice was low. "Hurry up and brush, Pixie." He pulled away and grabbed for his brush on the sink in the cell. She laughed at his haste and followed his example.

They didn't last two minutes, but that was mostly Faye's fault. She bent a lot further than necessary to spit. Daryl didn't stand a chance. 

He spit and moved behind her slowly, eying the sculpted figure of her ass. By now she was just leaning against the sink on her elbows, a smirk on her face. She was hot, and she knew it. 

"Faye," He hissed in warning and took a hold of her hips, kneading the fat over her bones. "This won't be gentle." He bit his cheek to stop from groaning when she rolled her hips against him, obviously feeling his arousal. 

She stood up straighter and looped her arms over his head. She was subtly grinding her hips back, making him tighten his grip and dip his head down to her neck. "Good." She almost moaned. 

He turned her around and smashed his lips over her's without a second thought. She groaned, louder now, and carded her fingers through his hair. He traced over the band of her panties and felt a shiver run down her back. Then, she was pushing him back again to land on the bed heavily. 

He barely had a moment to sit up before her lips were on his neck. She crawled over his legs to straddle him but didn't let herself grind on the outline of his hardening cock yet. Instead, Faye carded her fingers through his hair and felt his breath hitch. He gripped her ass in both hands just to feel like he was even a little bit in control. The only warning he got was the feeling of her grinning against his jaw, then she yanked his hair back and latched onto his jugular. 

The skin under her lips tingled as it bruised with the hickey she sucked. He couldn't stop the sharp gasp from escaping when her free hand rubbed over the bulge in his boxers. The sound made her groan and nip lightly over the stimulated skin. 

Then suddenly she was pulling away and leaving his lap. Daryl blinked his eyes open at the sudden chill she left behind but quickly felt his face heat up again when he saw where she was. Faye smirked up at him from where she was kneeling in between his legs. She continued to stroke him through his underwear until his legs shook and his pupils were wide. 

He was hot and heavy on her tongue while she lapped at the head. She couldn't see his face, but she could certainly hear him. Daryl was making cute little whimpering noises while she restrained herself from taking him into her mouth just yet. 

She did, however, suck just the head and pull away with a sharp pop! His eyes fluttered back open to meet her's, and she smirked at how wrecked he looked already. His shaggy hair was still messy from bedhead, and small beads of sweat were forming over his hairline. Even in the dim room, she could see how pink his cheeks were, and his mouth hung open to accommodate his heavy breathing. 

She never thought she would describe Daryl Dixon as cute, but that was the best she could put it right now. 

Faye gripped his thighs tightly under clawed fingers. "Strip." She ordered before standing up and working off her pants. Daryl blinked but followed her lead quickly, but hesitated at his shirt. He had never let anyone see his scars full-on, especially during sex. 

Faye kicked off her pants, left in her undergarments, and turned to Daryl. He was staring off, brow wrinkled and hands caught in the back of his top. She could guess what this was about. 

"You know..." she kept her tone sultry and stepped in front of him. She stroked one finger down his sternum to lay flat against his waist. "I won't judge you for anything. And," she smiled up at him, all trace amounts of seduction gone. "I love you." 

He pressed his lips together, scars forgotten. No matter how many times she said it, he doubted that his heart would be able to take it in stride. He smiled gently down at her, and she returned it. 

"I love you." He agreed with her and wrapped his arms around her waist tightly, almost lifting her off the ground. She giggled and wrapped both arms around his neck before pressing her lips against his gently. 

This one was unlike any of the wild, carnivorous kisses they had shared that morning. This one was soft, and left him pliant, at her mercy. He felt like he was breathing in silent reassurances the more she touched him, and it left him hungry. 

He changed the nature of the kiss with the faintest of touches over her thigh. She slot their lips together easier and rolled his bottom lip between her teeth. Faye pulled back, still breathless, and pushed his shoulders back so he sat back on the bed. Just like that, she dropped back to her position on her knees between his legs. Only this time, she didn't bother with any preamble. 

Daryl's hands flew into her hair and he felt his back curve over her. She took him as deep as she could go, almost halfway, then sucked back up just as quickly. It was embarrassing how quickly he felt himself approaching the edge. She was just so hot. 

"F-Faye, I'm gonna-- oh, shit...!" He let out a strangled noise as he came, hot and breathing unevenly. The orgasm had surprised them both, but Faye seemed to recover from the shock faster and pushed herself to take as much of him in as she could. 

Black spots danced in front of Daryl's eyes like fireflies. He could feel the vibrations of small moans and gasps falling from his mouth, but he couldn't seem to stop. Even when he stopped cumming and Faye raised herself up to straddle his thighs, he still felt dizzy and positively ruined. 

"Hey," she spoke softly while carding her fingers through the hair at the base of his neck. "You okay? Was that too much?" 

He swallowed thickly and shook his head. "N-no, it's jus'--" He suddenly blushed and wrapped his arms around her waist. She giggled when he pressed his face between her breasts to avoid eye contact. "...It's been a while..." 

"Ohhh," she hummed in understanding, "You're embarrassed because you came so quickly?" 

He whined and squeezed her tighter in warning. Dammit, that was embarrassing! He knew she wouldn't judge him or anything, but still. He had wanted to last longer. 

"Don't worry," she was saying and cupped his face to smirk down at his playful pout. "We have all day, remember?"

Daryl perked up and smirked before he slid his hands down to her hips, then up to the back of her bra to fumble. He furrowed his brow in irritation and just opted to pull it over her head. She laughed, bright and clear while lifting her arms to make it easier. 

“Eager, hm сахар?” She teased while the fabric fell to the floor. Daryl didn’t reply verbally but did latch onto her collarbone to bite and suck a deep red mark while running his hands up and down the expanse of her bareback. 

He traced along the raised scarring on her back and focused on making her shiver. If she was going to ignore his scars and only look at him with adoration, he was going to praise and worship her for the queen she was to him. Pulling back and seeing the purple mark left from his mouth sent a jolt of arousal to his abdomen, and he groaned quietly. 

He wrapped his arms around her waist and fell back onto the mattress, making her yelp in surprise. She tensed over him, elbows braced on either side of his head. Her tense muscles soon relaxed when he took her nipple into his mouth and laved the pert bud with his tongue. She let out a soft moan and let her head hang, eyelids fluttering. It had been too long since someone had touched her like this, and it was probably the first time she had felt so open and exposed, yet unafraid. 

She blinked open her eyes when Daryl moved his hands down to her bare thighs and pushed her body further up the mattress. She didn’t have time to ask what he was doing before he hooked a finger in the crotch of her panties to move the fabric aside and pull her hips onto his face. 

Faye could only cry out in pleasure while his tongue sought out her clit and licked a broad, flat stripe over it. Her hips jolted, and Daryl hummed like he had just figured out a complex problem. His fingers tightened around the back of her thighs to hold her still and continued his work. 

Faye was barely aware that she was letting out little whines and gasps with every breath, but was too far gone to care. Her abdomen was tight, and she felt so hot and hypersensitive every drop of sweat on her skin was just added stimulation at this point. Daryl slid his hands to her inner thighs to hold her open wider. Faye cried out.

“Ah! Oh, god Daryl don’t stop pleasepleaseplease--!” Faye had never been one to care about how loud she was and now was no exception. Daryl felt his mouth twitch in satisfaction at her reaction and rewarded her by pressing one finger deep into her. 

“Oh, FUCK!!” Faye cursed and tensed in the half second before her orgasm struck her like a tidal wave. It was all she could do to keep breathing and not collapse while Daryl worked her through it. Her moans devolved into groans and strained whines while electricity coursed up and down her trembling legs. His tongue kept laving over her twitching pussy, prolonging her pleasure even while she ground onto his face in an uncoordinated rhythm. 

She regained her awareness when she heard a smacking sound between her legs. Her head rolled limply, bare chest still heaving, so she could see just what Daryl was doing. He was looking up at her like he was waiting for her attention. He smirked and continued licking his fingers clean. 

Faye let out a breathy moan and rolled off of her straddling position to sit on the bed. Without her bracketing him, Daryl was able to sit up and lean in for a deep and languid kiss. She moaned breathlessly at the taste of salt and her own arousal on his tongue but found herself wanting more. This was dirty but it felt so right. 

Daryl was positive that no man had ever felt so full of love and attention after eating a woman out. The knowledge that she loved him and he loved her washed over him in full force while he allowed himself to be pushed back onto the mattress. He would never have guessed that he would ever feel so heavy yet so light all at once. He knew he was falling deeper and deeper into her adoration, and all he could do in the wake of it was smile.

“God, Daryl I love you so much…” She whispered against his jaw while she straddled his hips. Without moving her mouth from his ear, she started pushing his clothes off the rest of the way. “You’re so damn good for me, Daryl. I love you more than you’ll ever know.” She bit lightly on his earlobe in the same instant that her fingers found his stiff cock.

His heart was beating so hard and so fast he was mildly concerned that it would give out but decided there was no better way to go so he may as well enjoy this. He gripped down her waist to her hips, where her cotton panties still hung on her hips stubbornly. That just wouldn’t do.

Faye jumped and squeezed Daryl’s cock a little harder than he expected when she felt the fabric on her ass tighten, then give way with a popping tearing sound. She froze all motions and confirmed that, yes, Daryl had just ripped her fucking panties off with his bare hands. Slowly, she straightened her back to look down at Daryl. 

The bastard, the bastard was smirking like he’d just finished a fucking marathon and kneading Faye’s bare hips. The woman in question raised a brow, then leaned back down so she was inches from Daryl’s face. For good measure, she squeezed his cheeks together with one hand so he looked like a fish and couldn’t seduce her with his fucking smolder anymore. 

“Those were my favorite panties, Daryl.” She said slowly, with a slight teasing edge to her voice. 

“Oh, were they?” She let his face go so he could talk normally. “Sorry, Tinker Bell. Lemme make it up to you.” On the last word, he pushed her hips down and lifted his own to grind his erection against her wet lips. 

Faye couldn’t stop the gasp and shiver that came from the contact but still managed a chuckle. “Oh, you fucker.” She reached between them to line him up and teasingly sink down so he was just barely pressing into her. “You’re so, so, good for me, сахар. You’re going to be inside me, but you know I’m the one doing the fucking, huh?” She emphasized her point by tracing a finger down his happy trail, then resting it on his hip bone. And the best part (worst part?), was that he agreed with her. This feeling of handing someone else the reins, trusting someone else to take control of his body, it was...liberating. “Tell me how much you want me, Daryl.” She circled her hips teasingly, and Daryl’s fingers tightened. He still didn’t push her down, but his grip would definitely leave bruises.

And, in retrospect, Daryl should have known this is how this would go. Faye was vibrant, shameless, and powerful. There was no way he would be able to top that, pun intended. Staring up at her, while his toes curled and uncurled, his hands gripping her rolling hips, his throat closed with the raw emotion of the moment. God, he loved her so much. This wasn’t fucking, this was making love. 

“So bad, baby,” He changed his grip and slid his palms up her torso to knead both of her breasts. “You’ll never know how much I want you.”

She bit her trembling lower lip and braced her own hands on his chest. “I love you, Daryl,” she whispered. Daryl opened his mouth to reply but it fell into a groan when she finally sank down. 

Faye whimpered at the stretch but any pain was blocked by the filling sensation of his head entering her. Groans and gasps slipped past her lips while she lifted herself up, and down, taking more and more with each thrust. Daryl waited patiently, head thrown back and eyes squeezed shut while he resisted the urge to thrust. At last, Faye’s thighs rest against his hips, and he was buried inside her.

She was so soft… and hot… She clenched around him and he gasped, startled at how close he felt already. He had just cum twenty minutes ago, what was wrong with him? Not that he was complaining, but… He wouldn’t be able to resist her for much longer.

Faye made the decision for him and started to roll her hips up and down, pulling him out only a few inches before he was sucked back in. The blush across her freckled cheeks matched the pink tips of Daryl’s ears. Slowly, Daryl started releasing groans and deep moans as she picked up speed. They were in no way quiet but too wrapped up in each other to care.

Faye’s arms shook, and Daryl pulled her down to lay on him while he continued to thrust up into her. She moaned loudly and buried her face in the crook of his neck and started licking and sucking a mark into his skin to match the bite on her collarbone. He was close, he could feel the heat pooling in his lower abdomen.

She let out an embarrassing squeak when one of Daryl’s hands moved from her hip down to her abused clit and started circling the nub. Without thinking, she tried to stifle her groans in his skin, but when that didn’t work she opened her mouth and bit down on Daryl’s shoulder. While he was surprised, the act only seemed to urge him to work faster, and he started flicking the bundle of nerves faster with more insistent pressure. 

As she fell apart for the second time, she sank her teeth into the flesh beneath her and screamed behind the muffle. He continued to use her twitching and stimulated the body, thrusts growing faster and harder. When she started to whimper he removed his finger from her clit but kept up his movements until he held her hips down with both hands and ground into her wet heat until he peaked. His abs twitched and long moans cut off by sharp gasps dripped from his mouth like honey. He could feel her pussy filling with his cum, and his dick gave one last twitch at the thought before starting to calm down. 

Distantly, he felt pricks of pain in his shoulder, but it was soothed by a hot tongue almost immediately after. He rubbed along the sides of Faye’s spine while they both fought for breath. She hummed, pleased. 

“Oh my god…” He slurred, “I love you...so much. You were so great, baby, and I love you.” Gosh, he was really spent. 

Faye huffed out a laugh and replied, equally exhausted and satisfied, “Заткнись ... тебе было лучше ... секс-бог…” 

Daryl snorted at what he could understand. Briefly, he thought about what it would be like to have her fuck him while only speaking Russian, but buried the thought just as quickly. If she was giving him orders in Russian, he would probably be too terrified to get it up. Any Russian, unless it was spoken by Faye in a blissed-out, post-fuck voice, was scary as hell. 

“”Sex God”, huh?” He chuckled, “Just don’t call me that in public, huh, Tink?” 

“Oh, I won’t.” She promised, then smiled against his bruised skin. “At least not in English.”

********

“Soooo…” Maggie slid into the seat next to Faye in the commissary later that night, knowing grin in place. “How was your day?”

Faye smiled into her oatmeal and just nodded enthusiastically. Maggie laughed and punched her in the shoulder lightly. “That’s not what I meant, ass!” She leaned in and said quieter, “Carol told me what she did for you guys. It was my job to keep people out of the block for the day. So come on! Spill!”

Faye swallowed and smirked. “What do you want to know?” 

Maggie chuckled and leaned on the table. “Just describe it for now. We’ll do details later.”

“Honestly,” Faye glanced over at Daryl, who was helping Tyreese move more food from the vehicle he had taken for a run earlier. She sighed dreamily and turned to Maggie with puppy-eyes. “It was a religious experience. I could start a following for that dick, I swear.”

Maggie snorted and glanced behind Faye at someone. She burst out into laughter and had to hold her stomach. Faye turned to see and met Michonne’s startled eyes. Obviously, she had only heard the last bit of their talk.

“Oh,” Maggie gasped out, “Hi Michonne! Do you have a moment to talk about our lord and savior, Daryl’s di--!” 

“No!” Faye clapped both hands over Maggie’s mouth, muffling her cackles. “It’s an exclusive religion! Like a cult!” She was laughing too, now. “And don’t even think about licking my hand. You don’t know where they’ve been.”

Maggie’s eyes widened and she wrenched her face away and lunged for her water bottle. Faye used her distraction to turn back to Michonne, grin still on her face but slight embarrassment evident in her blush. “You want to sit? Oh, ignore her,” She gestured to Maggie, who was rubbing her mouth with a damp napkin, “she’s a gossip queen.” Maggie slugged her in the shoulder again.

“...sure.” Michonne maneuvered into the seat to Maggie’s right. “Should I ask about what you were talking about?” 

The Russian shrugged, “That’s up to you. But if you did, I would tell you that our day was just a switch between sex and napping. And that I love him more than anything, ever.” She glanced back at Daryl, who noticed and smirked back. 

“Ya'll are so gross,” Maggie shook her head, “You're still in the honeymoon phase after a whole year of knowing each other.”

“Hmm?” Michonne asked innocently, “What was that? Sex in the watchtower?” 

Maggie made an offended sound and put a hand to her chest dramatically. “Michonne! You said you would cover for me!”

“I said I would cover for Glenn.”

Maggie scoffed again. Faye snorted at their banter and scooped the last of her oatmeal into her mouth. “Hey, Faye?” Maggie pointed at her collar, where her t-shirt had fallen a little. “What’s that?” She could hear the teasing lit to her voice. Michonne leaned around her to see and stifled a laugh behind her hand. 

Faye glanced down uncomfortably and saw the teeth marks and maroon bruise surrounding it. “Oh,” she replied dumbly, “Well it’s not a walker bite if that’s what you're wondering.” 

Maggie let out a quick bark of laughter before submitting to a fit of giggles. Michonne smirked but shook her head and went back to her meal. She opened her mouth to say something, undoubtedly sassy if her expression was anything to go off of, but was interrupted by a shout across the cafeteria.

“YOU WERE BIT?!” Tyreese’s booming voice ran through the crowded room and silenced all other conversation. Daryl stood in front of him, one hand up and the other yanking his shirt sleeve back down over his shoulder. 

“Calm down, I wasn’t--” 

“WHAT?!” 

“Oh, no.” Faye groaned under the sound of Maggie cackling. 

Merle stomped across the room towards Daryl. Anyone in his path quickly dodged for fear of facing his anger. Daryl didn’t look scared or worried, just fed-up and stressed. Faye bolted from her chair, leaving Michonne to try and regulate Maggie’s breathing. 

“You mean to tell me,” Merle was leaning into Daryl’s face, “you ain’t been out of the building since yesterday. So you’ve been bit since then?”

Daryl sighed and shoved his brother out of his personal space. “It ain’t like that Merle, I jus’,” he glanced around the room at all the eyes on him, and shrunk back a little. “Can we do this somewhere else?” He asked in a murmur.

Carol appeared like a godsend and started shooing people away. “Alright, back up!” She ordered, “He’s fine, nothing to see, go back to your business!” Obediently, the room obeyed with a few worried glances at them and Maggie, who was trying to stop grinning like a maniac. The crowd mingled until all that was left on the subject was Carol, Merle, Tyrese, Faye, and Daryl.

“He’s got a bite mark on his shoulder,” Tyrese pointed out, then winced at Daryl’s sharp glare. 

Carol glanced between Faye and Daryl, then rolled her eyes without saying a word. Faye chuckled nervously.

Merle pushed Daryl’s hands away, which resulted in a brief slap-fight before he was finally able to see the offending mark. He wrinkled his brow, “This don’t look like a walker bite...” he said slowly. Maggie started howling across the room again. Even Michonne was giggling behind her hand. 

Faye sighed and pressed one hand across her eyes so she wouldn’t have to witness Merle’s smug-ass grin when he realized what the bite mark was from. She put the other on his shoulder to grab his attention, and she knew, she knew, that Carol was pressing her lips together to stop her laughter. 

“I did it…” Faye mumbled, “He wasn't bitten by a walker, Merle…” 

“He was bitten by a Russian.”

“Carol, please.”

Carol just grinned and poked at her collarbone, like she had some sixth sense that told her where to find hickies. Faye peeked through her fingers to bat her hand away

“Oh,” Merle grinned as he understood the implications, “Oh. This is too good. And you,” he pointed at Tyrese, who was still putting the pieces together, “thought he was fuckin’ bit!” He broke off into shamelessly loud laughter while holding his gut.

Daryl pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “Don’t worry Ty,” He forgave Tyrese before he could even apologize. “You didn’t know and got scared. But you should know that any one of us would off ourselves or cut off the bite before we brought that disease into the prison.”

“R-right. Okay, good to know.” He glanced around the cafeteria and cringed, “Still sorry for all the unwanted attention, though.”

Faye waved him off, “It’s fine, really. They’ll find something else to talk about. The Woodbury housewives go through gossip like nail polish colors.” 

Merle gasped in a few more breaths and clapped Daryl on the back. “You ain’t ever living this down, little brother!”

Daryl glanced at Faye’s dismayed face, and his eyes hardened when he spoke to Merle. “Hey, do you remember that girl from high school, Merle? Jessica or Jammie or whatever. Had a snaggletooth.” His tone was too casual to not be suspicious.

Merle immediately stopped laughing and glared at Daryl. “You wouldn’t.”

“Try me.”

The two had a short stare-down for a few seconds, while the other three around them glanced at each other in confusion. Then, Merle raised his hands and huffed, “Alright, fine! I’ll forget this.” He poked a finger into Daryl’s chest, “But if I hear one word breathed ‘bout homecoming I’ll tear yer fucking balls off, brother.”

Daryl glared right back, “Then I guess we won’t be hearin’ about this anymore, huh Merle?”

Merle kept glaring but pulled his finger from his chest. “Guess not.”

Carol cleared her throat and sounded unimpressed, “If you boys are done measuring dicks, there’s still three more crates that need to be brought in.” She clapped her hands and shooed them away, “Chop chop, move it!”

Merle glanced at her and seemed to calm down a fraction before he moved with Tyreese and Daryl to do as she asked. Carol made sure they were actually going back to work before turning to Faye, who was not-so-subtly glaring at a wheezing Maggie. 

“And as for you,” Carol leaned into her face harshly. Faye startled and held still like a statue while holding eye-contact. “Next time, don’t bite him in such an obvious place!” She smirked and winked before going back to taking inventory while Faye was paralyzed while she processed her words. 

She eventually decided “Huh,” was the most appropriate answer. 

Michonne shook her head while Faye rejoined them at the table. “You people are crazy.”

“In a good way?” Maggie chirped.

“I don’t know, yet…” Michonne stirred her oatmeal absent-mindedly. “But you’re a family, and that’s good. Especially now.”

Faye smirked, “Yeah,” She slung an arm over Maggie’s shoulders, “It really is. Even if Maggie is a total bitch, sometimes.”

“Hey!” The farmgirl smacked the top of her head lightly.


	23. The Big Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm trying to stay consistent (for once) and update every weekend. I can't say any particular day, but for sure there will be a new chapter available by Monday. Also please comment so I know that I did a good job because validation and attention are what fuels me.

Daryl woke up warm. Not the comforting kind of warm he’d grown to associate with Faye wrapping him up like an octopus while she slept, but the kind of warm that had sweat beading on his forehead and his boxers tightening. His eyes flew open and he tried to sit up, only to find that he was pinned by calloused and scarred hands on his chest. Faye smirked down at him from where she was rolling her hips over his slowly. He could feel her heat through the fabric of both their underwear.

“Good morning,” she said with a slight laugh, “Did you sleep well?” 

He hummed in response, now fully awake. His voice was rough when he asked, “Do we have time? Or are you just torturing me?” He gripped her wrists gently and stroked over her pulse with his thumbs. The gentleness of the gesture was not lost on her. 

“We have time,” she circled her hips, “construction on the fence finished yesterday, remember? Today will be pretty slow…” She rolled her hips slower to emphasize her point, tone low and sultry. 

He moved his gripping fingers to her bare thighs and pushed the large t-shirt she slept in up until he could see where she was grinding over him. “Have you always been such a sex fiend?” He hissed when she bore down on him and made his abs clench. “Or is this just for me?” 

Faye grinned, “I’m a sex fiend for you, caxap.” 

Daryl pressed his hands down suddenly, halting her movements. “How’s your back?” 

His concern was touching and made Faye smile. “Totally healed. So is my hip, by now--AH!!”

She yelped when his grip tightened and he rolled them both over so he was kneeling between her legs with a hand on the inside of each of her knees. He grinned down at her. “Okay?” 

She nodded quickly, and then he was at her throat. Just being touched by Daryl always sent Faye into a state of bliss. Being touched by him just before he intended to fuck her was euphoric. He was everywhere she needed him and pulled out all the stops when he was in charge. His hands ran up and down her trembling inner thighs like he was trying to soothe her. His hips continued to grind against her in sharp movements like it was totally instinctual and he couldn’t stop himself. She kept a tight grip on the back of his white tank top and the long hair at the base of his neck while he bit her earlobe and dragged it between his teeth. 

She was sure that he could feel her heart stutter when his wandering hands slid further up her legs and over her hips. Instead of pulling her panties down and just ravaging her like she expected (and wanted), he just traced his fingertips over the seam in teasing touches that made her groan in frustration and buck her hips up. 

“Daryl, please just--” 

“Hmm?” He hummed against her jaw, “Just what, Faye? Tell me what you want me to do and I’ll do it.” She could feel him smirking into his kisses. 

She huffed and pointedly pressed her lips together in a pout. He heard and leaned back to look at her, only to break out into a wide grin. “Oh, come on babe.” She glared at him and let her arms fall limply to the mattress. “Don’t be like that!” He urged her and wrapped her legs around his waist while he sat back. “I wanna hear you…” Now he was pouting too.

She let him try to get a reaction out of her for a few seconds, grinding, pinching, groping, but she held strong. He figured out her game and settled for a gentle grind against her hips and stared at her expectantly. Faye had always been the one with the least resolve, and this was no different. 

She turned her head to the side and crossed her arms. Her face was hot when she said, “If you want to hear me you better start eating me out in the next five seconds…” 

And like Daryl promised, that was all it took.

# ******

It wasn’t until well after dawn that they finally emerged from their room, sex hair legendary and bruises works of art over their collarbones. They headed down to the commissary for a late breakfast, hand in hand. Faye sat Daryl down at a table with Beth and Hershel and left him to yawn and doze while she got their food. 

“Finally!” Carol chirped and practically threw Judith at Faye. The baby had a fistful of her hair before Faye could get a proper hold on her. “She missed you. And I need a day off every now and then, too. Also,” the woman grinned and motioned to her hair, “Loving the new look.” She was gone before Faye could respond. 

Judith cooed and yanked Faye’s hair towards her mouth, making the woman wince. “Okay.” She deadpanned and made her way back to the table without any food. Mission failed. 

“Daryl,” she called as she approached, “Carol said you have to take care of Judith.” She plopped the baby in his lap and went back to find food. 

Judith, as usual, took to Daryl immediately and played with his fingers, seeming fascinated by the scars and calluses. He smiled down at her and let her continue to explore curiously. 

“Picky little princess, aren't you?” He murmured down to her. She looked up like she could understand, but went back to playing. 

“Gosh, you're so good with her!” Beth praised across the table, “Careful, though. If people see you with her too much they’ll think you're her daddy.” 

Daryl shook his head, “Nah, she ain't look nothing like me. She’s a pretty little princess and I’m--”

“Ruggedly handsome and the light of my life?” Faye placed a bowl of oatmeal and raisins in front of him and kissed the crown of his head. “Don’t sell yourself short, caxap. Judith would be lucky to have you as a father.” She sat next to him and dug into her own bowl. 

Beth watched the interaction with shining eyes. Herschel noticed and chuckled before asking, “You planning on tying the knot anytime soon?” 

Judith squealed at the choking sounds Daryl made on his oatmeal. Faye looked shocked and pat him on the back before replying to Hershel. “We haven’t discussed it yet.” Daryl recovered with a sharp inhale. 

“You're practically married already,” Beth spoke as if Daryl hadn’t just died and resurrected in front of her. “Who else are you going to date? You've been making goo-goo eyes at each other for about a year, now.” 

Daryl pressed his lips together and stared down at his food. The thought had occurred to him, sure, but he’d never really voiced his desires. He would have never thought he’d find love, but all it took was the end of the world and here he was. Marriage wasn’t a big deal now anyways. It wasn’t like they could sign for a house together or share an insurance plan, so what was the point? As much as he told himself that, he still wanted it, no matter how childish it felt.

Faye watched his reaction and, as she did with most things, took a leap of faith. 

“Daryl.” She spoke for his attention. He turned in his seat and saw her on one knee on the floor, a nervous smile on her face. “Wanna get married?” 

Beth looked between them with wide eyes and both hands covering her grin. Hershel rolled his eyes but was smiling. A few other people that didn’t know them were staring, waiting for his answer.

Daryl blinked at her, wide-eyed before he snorted in laughter. Daryl’s laugh was a rare thing, but when he let loose, the sound rumbled like thunder and lit up the room. He nodded with a grin plastered to his face. “Yer ridiculous, Tinker Bell.” 

“Is that a yes?” She pressed.

Daryl hummed and gazed off in thought. “Weeeell, I guess…” 

Faye scoffed in fake offense.

“Yes, Tinker Bell. I’ll marry you for whatever it’s worth now.” He shifted Judith aside so she could latch onto his side and draw him into a kiss. The commissary erupted in applause, but they ignored it. Beth was squealing at a pitch that could shatter glass.

Faye pulled away and looked over Daryl's shoulder at Hershel. “Hershel, marry us!” 

He looked shocked, “Right now?”

“Well, da!” 

“Ummm,” He glanced between their faces, and at Judith sucking on Daryl’s spoon. “I now pronounce you man and wife…?” 

Beth cheered when they kissed again. Daryl was giddy. He felt like he was buzzing and was sure that this was a whole other level of love. He never ever thought he would get married, let alone to someone was wonderful as Faye. He didn’t even care that Judith just spit up down the back of his hand. This was perfect.

Faye felt like she could sprint a mile without running out of breath. She knew marriage wasn’t a big deal anymore, and that they weren’t religious, and that they couldn’t exactly move into a house and have two and a half kids. But still. She was so happy she couldn’t care. 

“Oh!” Faye pulled back and grinned. “Honeymoon!” 

Daryl stood up immediately and handed Judith off to Beth. He grabbed Faye’s wrist and yanked her back towards their room. She laughed the whole way. 

Hershel looked shell-shocked. “Bethy, what just happened?” 

Beth shook her head and sighed wistfully. “Ah, young love.”

# ******

“Carl!” Carl looked up from helping his dad plow up dirt for the garden. Beth was running down the field with Judith, jostling her a bit. “Carl, you wouldn’t believe--!” 

“What is it?” Rick tensed next to him. His hand twitched to his belt, where his revolver usually was. He’d stopped carrying it weeks ago, but the motion wasn’t lost on Carl. “Is someone hurt?”

Beth finally came to a stop, panting. “No! Nothing’s wrong!” She was grinning, and the two relaxed. “Faye and Daryl got married!” 

Carl's eyes widened comically. “What?! Like, just now?!”

Beth nodded happily. 

Rick put a hand to his chest. “And they didn’t invite us?” He pretended to take offense.

“To be fair,” Beth handed Judith off to Rick. “They just decided and got daddy to do it as soon as Faye asked. They were only finances for maybe four seconds.”

Their attention was drawn to the gate opening and a white truck leaving. The engine sputtered and Beth just caught sight of a familiar scarred arm waving out the window. “And…” Beth drawled, “They just left for their honeymoon.” 

Rick rubbed his eyes like he was about to say something against them, but then sighed in defeat. “You know what? I’m not in charge anymore. If the council says okay, I can’t stop them.”

Carl hummed and watched the truck speed down the road until it was out of sight. “You wouldn’t be able to, anyway. You know that.”

“Hey!” Rick pretended to be offended, “I’m plenty authoritative!”

“I know,” he went back to driving his hoe into the ground, a smirk on his lips, “but I doubt anything could stop Faye and Daryl from doing something they really want to.”

Rick went to say something but stopped. “Hm,” He pushed Carl’s hat down over his eyes, “you got me there.”

# ******

“Alright,” Daryl looked over a map from the passenger seat while Faye kept the pedal to the floor. “What the hell do people do on a honeymoon?”

“Don’t know,” she swerved around a walker, “We kind of just came out here with no real plan. We just brought our weapons and a canteen.”

They sat in silence for a moment, thinking over their choices. 

“We shouldn’t’ve done this.” 

“Yeah, this was not the best idea we’ve ever had.”

“Should we go back?” Daryl glanced at her.

“Hell no!” She shot him a grin. “It’s my honeymoon, too! We’re going to get rings or some shit!”

He snorted in laughter, “Whatever you say, wifey.” 

She grinned, then looked confused and said in near panic, “Wait, what do I call you?”

He put the map down and looked at her with concern and frustrated patience. “What the hell’re you talking about, woman?” 

“I mean,” She tried to explain, “you have a cute name for me, “wifey”, but I don’t think “husbandy” is a word. So, what’s my cute married nickname for you?” She sounded legitimately curious.

He shrugged and flicked the map up again. “I don’t care. You can just stick to “sugar” if you want.” 

“But Daryl,” She whined and took a sharp left, knocking a walker off the road with the right headlight, “I don’t want to be lazy!”

“Damn, Tinker Bell, “wifey” is like the laziest one in the book!” He gestured to an upcoming turn, “Take a right. Seriously, ya don’t need to worry.”

“Nonsense, babe!” She took the turn so fast it felt like the right tires were off the ground. “I’ll just have to try every single one until it sticks! What do you think, sweetheart? It’ll be just like that game we used to play with the nicknames and the department store and the morning boners.”

He slammed the map down into his lap. “You knew about that?!” His voice was higher than usual.

“Well, yeah!” She scoffed, “At first I just thought it was that normal guy thing, but now we’re married, so…” She grinned and looked to Daryl to squeal, “We’re married!”

“FAYE THE ROAD!!”

“SHIT!”

# ******

After a grand total of three near-death experiences courtesy of Faye's driving, Daryl made her pull over into a rest stop so they could hopefully find some real food. While the grocery stores and gun shops were obviously one of the first places to go, less suspicious places like home goods stores and restaurants were not quite as obvious, and usually not picked clean. Granted, it was unlikely they would find anything of nutritional value. But anything was good now.

“Babe!” Faye called from behind the front desk after Daryl stabbed the last walker through the back of the head. She held up a pocket-sized book with bright red and blue letters. “Russian to English dictionary! I can dirty-talk you in public if you learn!”

Daryl snorted while he picked his way over to her through the overturned shelves and corpses they’d killed. “Language ain’t ever stopped you before.” She snorted in response and tucked the book into her messenger bag anyway. Daryl kept looking around the small shop. He was always on edge when he was outside of the prison, but especially so when Faye was with him. He would never stop being protective, even if she could probably kick his ass.

“Caxap, look!” Faye bent under the counter and waved a bag of peanut M&M’s. “Lunch!” 

He shook his head, still grinning, while she shoved it and any other candy she could find into her bag. His gaze fell on a machine on a separate counter next to some ceramic mugs across a shelf. It was about as tall as him with a large lever on the side and some kind of press. He moved to inspect it.

“You know,” Faye ducked under the counter, “We should probably find somewhere a little more secure to sleep. There are too many windows here.” He heard her pushing things aside on the counters.

He hummed in agreement and bent at the waist to look at the machine a little clearer. Was it some kind of engraving? No, it was a press, but it looked like it didn’t use electricity or anything. There was just a coin-slot and instructions on how to use it and a keyboard. 

“What is it?” Faye’s casually happy voice behind him made him jump and hit the back of his head on the lever. He wasn’t hurt but he still turned to glare. She just chuckled at his reaction and squeezed his arm in a silent apology. “Really, though. What did you find?” She bent to look at the instructions and squint at the print.

“Dunno,” He slipped one of his hands into her back pocket and kept it there. “Some kinda press.” He shrugged at her raised brow and glance down at his hand. “What? ‘S cold.” 

She hummed suspiciously but didn’t correct him before turning back to the machine. “It’s for...for uhh,” She tensed her jaw and stared at the writing harder. “The collar, thing, I mean, fuck. The things you know, теги собаки! They go ‘jingle jingle’, shiny, Army, God what the fuck.” Daryl watched her struggle for a moment before he snorted in laughter.

“Dog tags?”

“YES! God, fuck...Yeah, those.” 

He chuckled and pulled her back to him by her pocket. “Well, let’s make it work. I want one now.” 

She smirked, “So needy. Do you have a quarter?”

They actually had to raid the register for an entire roll of coins, because “nothing can ever be easy” according to Faye. But even when they paid the machine, they still found themselves at an impasse. 

“What do we type in?” Fay asked Daryl. “You wanted one, you type what you want.”

Daryl stared at the keyboard, still standing a few feet away like he was afraid it would bite him. Faye could see the idea form in his head and he held out his hand for the money. She handed it off and muttered about finding a map of the area before leaving him and going back to the front desk. 

She had just finished charting a path to an apartment complex on the fringes of a smaller neighborhood when the machine started creaking. She glanced towards Daryl in alarm, the mind automatically jumping to the worst case scenario. But he was cringing just as hard at the loud scrape of metal while he pressed the lever down to complete his dog tag. The sound would draw walkers, so they would have to leave as soon as they could. 

“Hold on, one more.” Daryl insisted when she started to shove things into her bag hastily. “Come’ere and put your name in, real quick.” He waved her over to the machine urgently while he pulled the finished tags from the press.

“What? Why?” She started typing regardless, even if there was no way for her to see if she was spelling everything correctly. “Why did you need me to do that?” She asked again while Daryl took over the keyboard again and typed rapidly before moving back to the lever. 

“Because,” he paused while the metal shrieked again, “rings’ll get caught on shit.”

“What?” Faye didn’t get an answer before Daryl was grabbing the finished metal and shoving them and two chains hanging next to the blank tags into his pocket. He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the back exit, as walkers had started to converge in the front. 

Things weren’t much better in the back lot, and they had to fight their way through a few of the walking dead. 

“Truck’s in the front!” Daryl called over his shoulder to her, where she was pressed back to back with him and hacking through walkers with her axes. “You good to run?” He fired through a corpse’s eye and ducked back down to reload. 

Faye spun around and chucked her left hatchet into one’s head before Daryl stood back up and fired again. “Yes, let’s go! You drive!” She tugged his arm back the way they came in. They stopped to collect arrows and Faye’s ax as they dodged decaying hands. 

Daryl tossed his empty crossbow and ammo into the back seat before sliding into the driver’s seat and slamming the door behind him. Faye was only seconds behind, narrowly missing a walker’s jaws, which continued to snap at the glass disgustingly. She wrinkled her nose and diverted her attention to her husband. 

“Are you okay?” She asked between panting breaths.

He nodded jerkily and motioned to her. She nodded in reassurance to express the same and waved at the windshield, telling him to start driving. He obliged after the engine creaked to life.

# ******

“What do ya mean they left?!” Maggie and Merle spoke in unison, both equally outraged and confused. Carol didn’t even blink at their reactions while she kept opening cans of beans and chili to dump into a larger pot to warm up. 

“They’re on their honeymoon. Merle, keep putting these cans into the pots, will you?” She didn’t wait for him to answer before she left her task and turned to knead dough to make rolls on the counter next to Maggie. 

“Honeymoon?!” Maggie asked incredulously, “But that would mean-- Did they get--??”

Merle cracked the top off of a can of chili violently. “My baby brother popped the question?!” Merle wasn’t outraged, so much as shocked beyond belief. 

“No, Faye did. Maggie divide the dough up into balls, please.” Carol wiped her flour-coated hands on her apron with the words ‘No Bitchin’ in My Kitchen’ printed across the top. “Beth said they’d be back by tomorrow morning.”

“Typical,” Maggie scoffed and pounded the dough a little harder than necessary. “She decides to propose on the day she has trash-duty. I bet this was all planned out, too!” 

“We was supposed to go check traps today!” Merle growled, “Gonna whoop his ass when that slacker gets back.” 

Carol sat back in one of the foldable chairs and supervised their work. “Hershel married them and Beth was right there when it happened. You can ask them how it went down when you're done.” 

She smirked as the two redoubled their efforts to finish as quickly as possible. She picked up a drug-store novel Faye had grabbed for her the last time she went on a run called ‘The Soldier’s Scoundrel’. Very steamy, so far. And since she had some time… “It’s good to be queen,” she mumbled with a small smile.

# ******

“So, are you going to tell me,” Faye grunted as she slammed her ax into a walker’s head, “Why you wanted to risk our lives for those things?” 

Daryl looked up from where he was threading the tags, leaning against the wall. Faye finished off the last walker they found in the farmhouse and faced him with her hands on her hips. The property was abandoned by humans and mostly by walkers. The twice-dead man at Faye’s feet was the last one in the house. 

Daryl shrugged, “Told ‘ya. Rings would get caught on shit.” He dangled both the tags down, and they clicked together lightly. “Happy honeymoon, wifey.” He smirked while she took the necklaces from his hand and read over them both.

..............................................................................

#### Daryl Dixon

####  “Caxap”

#### A promise to always come home

.............................................................................

#### Faye Katya Zastev

#### “Tinker Bell”

#### A promise to always come home

.............................................................................

“I mean,” he sounded uncertain as her silence stretched on. “We can get rings or whatever if you wa--”

Faye pressed her lips to his insistently. “I love it,” she gasped and wrapped her arms around his neck, “God, I love you so much.” 

Daryl pushed back and turned them so that he could use the wall for support to pushed her thighs up to wrap around his waist. She hummed appreciatively and smiled into the kiss, but Daryl heard something else entirely. He pulled away swiftly and turned towards the back door. Faye kept mouthing at his neck. 

“Faye, stop.” She pulled back immediately and looked concerned until she noticed his focus wasn’t on her anymore. “Ya hear that?” 

She focused as well and nodded. There were walker groans coming from just outside the kitchen door, along with small grunting and the occasional squeal. Daryl let her back to her feet silently and picked his crossbow up off the side table to lead the way to the door. 

Faye strung the chain with Daryl’s name on it over her head and caught Daryl with her’s when she caught up. He smirked back at her and kept on. The noises were getting louder, now. 

Faye stood to the side of the door, hand on the handle. She counted down silently before throwing the door open and following Daryl outside. 

He stopped. And lowered his bow in shock. Faye bumped into him and grumbled in Russian at the hold-up, but froze in shock as well when she saw what was outside. 

The backyard gate was more of a pen, with a trough full of green rainwater to one side, and a small shelter to another. The grass was torn up and muddy, except for the area around a small apple tree, where rotting fruit sat around the base. A large, fat, gray pig had its snout buried in the chest of a live walker, happily smacking away and crunching the bones in its way. The corpse was still alive, squirming where its head and arms were trapped above it under a fallen tree. Its legs and hips were just bones by now.

“Oh, holy dick.” Faye uttered and gagged. Daryl pat her on the back sympathetically before he started trudging through the mud towards the dead one. 

“Pigs ‘re omnivores, yeah?” He fired a bolt into the walker’s forehead, making the pig squeal and flee from him. “Makes sense that she’d eat whatever she could get. The grass...them apples…” He kicked the dead walker’s limp wrist, “And now this poor fucker.” 

Faye’s feet sunk into the soft dirt and she sheathed her hatchets. “All I heard was ‘bacon’. Help me catch it!” She started to slowly corner the fidgeting animal.

“Faye, that ain’t how ya--” He warned her too late, as the pig decided to charge her knees. She yelped when it hit, and flipped forward face first into the mud with a _splat!_. Daryl busted out laughing as she scrambled up, front half almost totally black with the sludge. She wiped it from her eyes as best she could just so she could properly glare at him. 

“Fuck you, asshole!” She snapped, “Let’s see you try and catch the damn pig!” 

Daryl hummed noncommittally. “I don’t know, wifey.” He pulled his backpack forward and dug around for a moment before pulling out a bag of trail mix. “Can ya handle watching me be that awesome?” He tore it open and popped a peanut into his mouth. 

Faye growled lowly, then perked up with a smile. “You know what, you're right, baby.” She spread her arms and started slipping towards him while he hastily backed up. “Sorry I yelled. How about a hug?” 

“You can keep that the fuck _away_ from me!” He glanced around in a panic before spotting the pig, back to eating the dead body. “Hey! Here, miss piggy!” He whistled and shook the bag of nuts at her. The animal perked up, hairy snout stained black with blood. At another insistent shake, she started trotting over to him willingly. 

Faye watched in stunned silence while he led the animal back up the steps to the house and through the back door. She shook her head quickly and followed as soon as she came to her senses. Daryl led the pig through the house, out the front door, and to the white pickup with ease. He didn’t even have to kill a single walker, but Faye was covered in mud that was already drying on her clothes. It was really unfair.

He directed the pig to the back of the truck, and into the bed, where he dumped out the trail mix for her to gobble up. He closed the boot with finality and dusted off his hands. “ _That’s_ how ya catch a pig.” He couldn’t keep the teasing ring out of his tone. 

Faye huffed, “Fucking Disney Princess ass…” She grumbled and got into the passenger side. “Well? She called out the open window, “We can’t leave the pig exposed out here. And I need this mud off. Get me back before night and I’ll let you fuck me in the shower or something.” She waved a hand flippantly, but regret her promise soon enough, as the speedometer needle didn’t dip below fifty the entire way back to the prison.

# ******

When they returned, it was a little after sunset. The clouds were purple and pink against the harsh orange sunlight that shined off the mirror and into Daryl’s tired eyes. He flashed the headlights at the tower and rolled forward when he got access. 

“Oh, дерьмо…” Faye mumbled and sank down in her seat when she saw that Maggie and Glenn were on guard duty. For all their horn-dog tendencies, they were always dutiful on their shifts. And Maggie looked pissed.

“So,” she snapped as soon as Faye’s feet touched the ground, “How was your honeymoon? As lovely as the wedding, I assume?” 

Glenn sighed like he had been expecting this, “Mags…” She ignored him.

“Oh, well I guess I wouldn’t know because you didn’t invite me! What gives?!” She spread her arms.

Faye glanced over her shoulder while she pulled her bag from the truck. “Maggie, you know that is not fair. We didn’t want to make a big deal of it. We didn’t even stay out for the night! And it’s not like I could find a dress or a cake or something.” 

Maggie deflated a little but still looked mildly ticked. She crossed her arms and huffed, “Well you still missed trash day. And you look like shit.” 

Faye snorted, “I think we made up for that.” Faye handed her the bag of peanut M&M’s and relaxed when her friend accepted the offering. Faye turned back and called to Daryl, “Daryl, don’t let the pig--”

“What?” He interrupted while he lowered the boot of the trunk. 

“Daryl no!” Faye barely had time to yell before the pig leaped out of the bed with a squeal and charged towards the open field in a frenzy. 

“The garden!” Glenn shouted in alarm and sprinted to protect the patch of green. 

“ _Goddammit_ , Daryl!”

# ******

Daryl held Faye to her promise, and the night found him sinking into her wet heat while he had her trapped between his chest and the wall. He groaned breathlessly and her nails dug into his back as he buried himself fully. Their matching dog tags clinked against each other as he started to thrust, holding her thighs up to stay wrapped around his waist. 

“Mmm,” She sighed and tilted her head back. Daryl took the opportunity to lick up her throat and suck a bruise onto the side of her neck while his breathing came in heavy sounds from his nose. 

“So good…” He sighed against her jaw, “You’re always so good for me, baby.” He annunciated his point with a sharp squeeze to her leg, just under her ass. 

“I love you, I love you, I love-- _AH!_ ” She immediately snapped her mouth shut and bit her lower lip sharply to stop from making any more noise. Evidently, Daryl didn’t think that would be enough and pulled out to set her down on the slippery tile. 

“Wha--?” He spun her around to face the tile wall and lifted one leg up by the back of her knee before sliding back in smoothly and resuming his previous pace. Her cry of alarm was cut off by two of his fingers pressing into her mouth and down on her tongue. 

“Sorry, sweetheart,” he panted in her ear and continued to roll his hips, “Didn’t quite catch that.” Her only response was a deep moan.

His gruff words shot a jolt of heat to her core, and she felt her abs tighten in response. Daryl could feel her tighten around him and picked up his pace. Faye was drooling over his fingers and whimpering every time he filled her completely. He could barely hold himself back from unloading inside her right then, but he wanted her to come first. Seeing her blissed out, mouth slack, looking wrecked was the best part of sex, and he wasn’t going to miss out on it for another minute.

He pulled his fingers from her mouth slowly, watching the string of spit connecting her lip to his fingers until it broke. He would have to act fast. She was always loud when he took control, and he had learned that nothing could quiet her until she came. So, without preamble, he lowered his hand to her clit and started rolling the bundle of nerves in small circles. 

The effect was almost instantaneous, and her moans cut off with a gasp before her hips twitched and she clenched around his cock as she came. He kept up his ministrations while she rode through it, only stopping when she whimpered from oversensitivity. He pulled her hair back with his spit-covered fingers and came as well with a groan pressed into her slack mouth. 

Faye dropped her head back onto his shoulder while she felt her husband fill her with heat. Daryl dominating sex always left her exhausted, and she knew it was the same for Daryl when she was in charge. She let her arms slide down the slick tile until she could let her arms hang limp. Soft kisses pressed their way up her shoulder to her neck, jaw, then finally her mouth. Their tongues danced lazily while they floated back down to earth. 

Daryl slipped out of her but kept close, leaning over her while she was still coming to her senses. He dropped her leg slowly and nipped at the back of her neck. She hummed in contentment and he could almost hear the soft smile on her face.

“Marrying you was the best decision I made in a long while, Tinker Bell.” He murmured into her freshly washed hair, “I can’t wait to chase pigs with you for the rest of my life.” 

She snorted and giggled happily. “I love you too, caxap. Enough to forgive you for making me chase pigs.” She turned around and tucked her head under his chin. “I’ll always come home to you. No matter what.” 

And he knew that she meant it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Be sure to leave kudos if you like what I'm doing or ignore if you don't. Free country, and all that.
> 
> ALSO get ready for angst because I have a beautifully strategized plan to make you cry. I'll be ending the series by the end of this year, hopefully. I have a plan, just gotta stick to it.


	24. Not Ready

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY so this counts as this weeks chapter, and you can count on next week being a week late, too. Exams are too big to mess up, and it's hard, babes. But this was the last filler chapter, and now we can get into that angst. 
> 
> Also, I'm off Tumblr for a few months to focus on school. So there won't be any updates or announcements from there.

Daryl didn’t think twice about it. He loved Judith like she was his own, but never got to spend any time with the baby because he was always working. So he jumped at the chance to take up Beth’s normal tasks of being her nanny while she, Carl, Michonne, and Tyreese went on a supply run. With Hershel’s pregnancy diagnostic for Violet, the name Carl had bestowed on the pig they brought back a week ago, Rick was busy trying to make sure she would make it to term, and that the piglets would survive despite the fresh autumn chill. 

He knew that the run was important to everyone involved, as neither of the kid’s guardians were going, and the adults going were entrusted to keep the kids safe. Daryl wasn’t as worried. With the weather getting colder the walkers moved slower. He and Merle had even watched one drop dead right in front of them because it had frozen overnight. The dead ones had slow circulation as it was. The frost did the rest of the work. 

All the same, Faye fret over Beth and Carl and kept piling on layers of clothes, making sure they knew how to keep warm and take down a person if needed. She was still paranoid about the Governor returning. 

“Remember to listen to Michonne and Ty.” She said worriedly while she ran her hands over them, looking for any exposed skin she could cover with wool. “And drink water, but don’t eat ice. Always be aware. If you kill something be sure to leave as soon as possible because the walkers can smell--”

Carl huffed and pushed her hands down from stuffing his ears into a knit hat. “Stop it, Faye.” He laughed, “We’ll be fine. I remembered my rations, and I know how to kill a man with one hit.” 

Faye pushed her palm up in a mock demonstration, “Just go for the--”

“The nose bone.” The teens chimed in unison.

“We’ll be fine, don’t worry!” Beth reassured and took both of her hands. “We’ll only be gone for three days at the most. And you know where we’re going.” 

Faye groaned, “Oh… I know,” She pushed Beth’s cheeks together, “You’re just both so grown up! I still remember when you would sing in the department store… Or when Carl came to visit me in my prison shed…!” She sniffed, “I’m tearing up just thinking about it!”

Carl rolled his eyes and socked her in the shoulder, “Stoooop,” he groaned, “We’ll be back to irritate you and Daryl soon.” 

Faye pouted and yanked both of them into a hug. “You’d better…” 

Beth pulled away at Maggie’s call and sighed before going to hear a similar lecture from her dad and older sister. Carl stepped back and smiled to Faye before slinging his backpack over his shoulder and moving to talk to his dad before he joined Tyreese in the SUV.

Daryl sided up to her with a bundled up Judith on his hip, who was sucking on her pacifier contently. “Quit worrying, they’ll be fine.” He reassured.

Faye sighed, her shoulders dropped marginally, and she leaned into his side. “I know…” In a quieter voice, she asked, “You and Merle already cleared the place out, right?”

He smiled and waved at Carl as he got into the truck with Michonne. “Not even a raccoon will be able to get into that storehouse.” He settled the arm over Faye’s shoulders and watched them finish loading up.

“...Are we bad parents?” Faye asked quietly.

“Nah,” Daryl shook his head, “We trust ‘em. Jus’ don’t trust what’s out there.” 

Faye nodded, obviously distracted as the car started up and began crawling towards the first gate. Beth rolled down the back window and waved at the two. “Good luck with her! I filled up her diaper bag and all her toys are in my room! Love you!” She slid back into the car as they wheeled down the field.

“Wait…” Faye said slowly and looked at Judith with trace amounts of horror. “You signed us up for baby- duty?!” Daryl didn’t understand her alarm, so she elaborated in a rush. “Daryl, I can barely take care of myself! I’ve only held her for an hour, _maximum_. And now she’d our responsibility?!”

“For three days, Tink!” He pushed the stray locks of hair out of his eyes, “We can do it. Don’t worry so much!” 

Faye wasn’t really one to believe in jinxes, but she still cringed when Daryl said flippantly, “How hard can it be?”

**_Day 1 - 3:52 pm_ **

Judith didn’t even have the chance to start fussing before Daryl swooped in like some kind of supernanny and gave her a bottle. Faye watched the whole thing from the other side of the commissary table in amazement. They had barely been in charge of Judith for an hour, but already she was feeling pretty insignificant. She knew it was unhealthy to be jealous of something she should be proud of her spouse for, but those creeping doubts were demanding attention. 

The first and only time she tried to have a baby the universe was so against the idea that she was left stabbed and infertile in a dark alleyway. She was supposed to be maternal. She originally wanted a baby, after all, she researched infancy and pregnancy and parenting methods, but it turned out it was moot in the end. And now, here she was, staring a baby in the face with nothing to offer. 

It was hard to push those feelings of failure down. Faye was just trying to be happy for Daryl and there if he needed her. He must have noticed her sour mood (of course he did) because he looked up from cooing down at Judith and frowned.

“You okay, honey?” He shifted the baby to one arm and reached over to cover her tensed hand with his own. She let the stiffness out of her arm and took his hand while carefully avoiding eye contact.

“Yeah, I just…” she bit her lip before she looked into his concerned eyes, “I don’t know if I can help you with Judith. At least, not well. You're so good with her and I haven't been very...involved, with babies. I couldn’t even keep my own, so how am I supposed to--”

“Faye,” she froze with her mouth open at his stern tone but closed it quickly as he continued. “What happened with Nikita ain’t your fault. Judith is here, now, and she’s easy. I know you aren’t comfortable around kids, ‘cause you think you’ll mess up. But that’s part of being parents. Ya mess up, and then you fix it.” He squeezed her hand and released her to take Judith’s empty bottle from her chubby hands. “Some people aren’t meant to be parents, but you ain’t them, darlin’. You care for them. You want them to be better than you. That says enough about you as a mom to make me trust you with my kids. All three of our adopted babies with five other parents sharing custody.” He smirked playfully.

Faye smiled back, feeling better. “You're sweet, caxap. But I won't be a good help with this. I'm not made for parenting, I think. At least not for babies. I couldn’t care for her properly if my life depended on it.” 

“Maybe,” he shrugged Judith onto his shoulder to burp. “But ya don’t have to do it alone. I’ll teach you my baby-whispering ways so my wifey doesn't feel bad.” 

Faye still sounded apprehensive. “Okay. I’ll do everything I can, but don’t expect much.” 

“Don’t worry ‘bout it, Tinker Bell. As long as you're comfortable I’ll be happy.” 

**_Day 1 - 5:06 pm_ **

True to his word, Daryl didn’t push Faye to help out but also didn’t mention that she was tailing him around the prison. He had Judith in a wrap around his back, by now a familiar weight in his posture. Faye occasionally held her for him and fed her, but she still seemed fidgety with the baby, and only did so when Daryl was struggling with different tasks. She was just overall awkward around kids, Daryl guessed. 

Now, Daryl was just finishing up repairs on an older truck that was recently brought in, while Faye changed Judith’s diaper in the backseat. She moved quickly because it was colder out now, probably nearing early October, so just enough to make Judith squirm when she was outside of her blanket. She was wiggling her exposed legs even as Faye put her feet back into her little sweatpants.

Faye glared at her without malice, and she glared right back, with lots and lots of malice. The kid had spunk, she’d give her that. Only four months old and already sticking it to the man.

Daryl straightened from where he was elbow-deep in the truck’s hood and dusted off his hands. “I think I found the problem. Needs a new starter.” He maneuvered around the vehicle towards his toolbox. Faye bent down to rummage through their diaper bag for Judith’s pacifier. Daryl placed his tools back in the box and straightened to approach Faye, closing the door that was pushed open in his path.

Faye froze, and stood up straight suddenly, eyes wide. Daryl, startled by her reaction, stepped back a few inches. She clutched at the handle and yanked at it, but it only clicked uselessly. “Daryl the baby is in the car.” She said in a deadpan.

Immediately he tried the front seat door but got the same result. “Oh, Christ…!” He ran around the truck to try the others. Faye could hear him quietly cursing when the doors didn’t budge. 

“Oh my god…” Faye buried her fingers in her hair and let out a bark of hysteric laughter. “We locked our baby in the car. She’s not even our baby. We’re terrible parents.”

Daryl gripped her shoulders and made her look at him. “We’ll fix it! The keys are in the front seat, we can just break the window!”

“No, she could get cut on the glass!” Their voices were quickly becoming frantic while they bounced ideas.

“Well, you’ve stolen cars before, right?! In the mob?”

“No, I just killed a lot of people and fought hobos! I don’t know what to do, Daryl! Weren’t you a mechanic?!”

“I WAS A MECHANIC, NOT A DAMN LOCKSMITH! Wait! Merle used to lift cars for a buddy of his!”

“ _GET HIM_!” Faye pressed her face against the glass so she could keep her eye on Judith, who all-in-all looked extremely unimpressed for a baby. “Don't worry шмель, Uncle Merle is coming to save you!” Judith blinked up at her and pulled her foot into her mouth.

Daryl sprinted at top speed around the pavilion of the prison, where a few people were milling about in their work or gardening. Sasha had to jump out of his way with a crate of guns in her arms. He shouted an apology to her but couldn’t afford to stop his search. 

He honed in on Merle’s raunchy laughter and found him leaning against a picnic table talking to Carol. Daryl ignored Carol’s raised eyebrow and his brother’s protests and questions when he gripped him by the shoulders and started shoving him back to the more secluded corner of the fenced perimeter. 

“I’ll explain in a second!” He snapped and kept guiding him away. “We need you to break into a car.”

“Darylina, what the hell--!”

“Here!” Daryl pointed to the backseat of the truck, where Faye was still looking in the window. “Can you get the back door open? Now?”

Merle took in Faye’s worried expression, the diaper bag on the ground, and the distinct lack of baby. He dropped his shoulders and looked right at Daryl. “You locked the baby in the car.” It was a statement, not a fact. 

“Yeah, will you help us?” 

Merle nodded and crossed his arms, “Oh, yeah, for sure,” he said, “But first…” He suddenly smirked and snorted before bowing his head and chuckling. His laughter grew until he was almost howling while pointing between the couple and holding his aching stomach. 

“Come on Merle, people get arrested for shit like this!” Faye rubbed her finger over her bottom lip anxiously.

The redneck held up his hands and took a breath to let his chuckling die down. “Alright, alright. Step aside, I got it.” 

She moved back to Daryl but they were still close enough to see what he was doing. Merle pulled the flat blade off of his prosthetic and wiggled it in between the door and the window like a lever. He bit his tongue in concentration before yanking the blade towards him suddenly, and the lock audibly popped. He pulled the door open with a flourish and grinned triumphantly. 

Daryl rushed past him to get to Judith and scooped her up to his chest. “You ain’t ever getting in a car ever again!” He lectured her while she stared up at him. She had her fist wrist-deep in her mouth, so he pulled it out and bent to find her pacifier in the bag.

Faye, however, slammed into Merle, trapping his arms at his sides and lifting him a few inches off the ground, much to his surprise. “Thank you, thank you, thank you, Merle!” She set him down but didn’t let go, leaving him pinned and stunned at the affection. She finally released him and stepped back, looking no more relieved than when he first got the door open. “Can you also not tell anyone? We want to be able to do this ourselves.”

“Hmm,” He stroked his chin, “might be a bit easier to keep quiet with a little something…”

Faye sighed, “Okay, fine. What do you want?”

“That blanket ya found on yer last run.” He grinned maliciously, “The one that looks like a cheetah.”

“You want my leopard-print fleece blanket?” She raised her brows, “What? No!”

“Hey, Carol!”

“NO STOP.” She clamped a hand over his mouth. “Fine. You get the blanket.” She flinched her hand back with a disgusted whine. “Aww, _gross_! Hand-licking motherfu--”

“Ah ah!” Merle wagged his finger teasingly, “Don’t cuss in front of the kid, Missy!”

“Fuck you.”

**_Day 1 - 11:43 pm_ **

Judith’s little huffing sounds she made before she began wailing woke up Daryl before Faye, so he rolled out from under her arm and leg to get up and answer the call. She’d gotten up last time anyway. 

He yawned away his sleep and tried to blink his eyes back into focus while he shuffled across the cell to Judith’s crib. As soon as he picked her up, she stopped threatening to wake up the whole prison. But he knew that something was wrong or else she wouldn’t have cried in the first place. So, he began to go through the steps. He started with sniffing her diaper and found the problem easily. 

Daryl brought her over to the small padded table for a change and took extra care to clean her and snap back her onesie and press the diaper straps into place. He scuffed back to her crib and lay her down, so she could doze off again. After making sure she was okay, he slid back into his own bed and went back to sleep.

**_Day 2 - 12:33 am_ **

It was Faye’s turn to check on Judith’s huffing, so she groaned softly and rose from the mattress. Daryl grumbled and hugged her pillow as a substitute. Faye could already guess what was wrong judging by the smell, but she vaguely remembered the sound of diapers crinkling less than an hour ago. And aren’t diapers supposed to make it to where shit did not smell?

Whatever, she was at the crib now. Judith was squirming uncomfortably and whining, stage two in the crying process. Faye scooped her hand under her back and went to lift her up, but froze. Her onesie was damp. She looked over the infant with more focused eyes and saw why.

Daryl had put the onesie on before the diaper, and the fabric had soaked her mess up her back. Faye sighed and shook her head quickly to wake up. A bath was in order, now. 

**_Day 2 - 1:02 am_ **

“Okay… All dry!” Faye ruffled Judith’s short hair with the towel while the big kitchen sink drained. “Now we can put your diaper on right.”

She used the dimmed lantern light to see what she was doing. Judith was slowly waking up more and more the longer Faye kept her up, which would be a huge problem if she couldn’t get her down again. The one thing that could make the baby sleepy was a warm bottle, so she started heating a serving of formula on the stove while she dressed and swaddled her back up in a blanket. 

She kept Judith against her chest, humming her lullaby softly while she assembled a bottle. She screwed the cap on one-handed, and tried to tighten it as best she could. “Okay, шмель here you go.” She adjusted Judith to one arm and lifted the other bottle with the other to tilt over her waiting hands grasping for the food and…

...the lid came off and spilled the milk all over her chubby little face. 

Damn.

**_Day 2 - 1:28 am_ **

“Okay, all clean...again.” Faye dried her off again, eyes heavy and movements sluggish. It was past both their bedtimes. She let the water drain again while she collected Judith into her arms and toweled her dry. 

She just grabbed her pajamas and added it to the lump of blankets and towels surrounding the sleepy baby. She would dress her in the cell to save time. All she knew right then was that Daryl was on shift for the rest of the night. 

**_Day 2 - 6:45 am_ **

“Up and at ‘em, Dixons!” Carol called from behind the covered cell door. “Faye, Mrs. Princely says she needs you. Something about needing her hair done.” 

“Mrs. Princely can suck my dick,” Faye grumbled into her pillow. Louder, she called, “I have Judith today, so she’ll just have to die mad about it.” All the same, she swung a pillow into Daryl’s face to wake him up and kissed his cheek when he sat up in a daze. 

“I’m gonna tell her that!” Carol threatened before her footsteps tapped down the stairs. 

Judith started squirming at the early hour and made those little huffing noises. Faye volunteered herself and made her way to the crib to pick her up.   
Daryl shuffled to the sink in their cell and went to brush his teeth, but spat the brush out as soon as it touched his mouth. “What the hell?!” He cupped water into his palm and rinsed out his mouth repeatedly. 

Faye blinked at his brush, then at his toothpaste. She smirked and held up the tube he’d used. “Babe, this is diaper cream.” She shook the tube teasingly. 

He scowled and kept spitting. What a great start to the day. 

**_Day 2 - 9:48 am_ **

Daryl had a thick blanket laid out on the grass of the prison yard. Faye, who was helping Maggie harvest the last tomato crop before the cold snap, was only a few dozen feet away. Daryl sat on the blanket with Judith, who was sitting up and playing with a few red and blue plastic cups close by. He was busy with his crossbow and arrows, sharpening old ones and carving new ones. 

It was hard to pay attention, though. Really, the thermal leggings Faye was wearing should be illegal. Her wide hips and round ass filled out more with the luck they had with food in the past months, looked soft. He _knew_ it was soft. He’d felt it enough times while he was fucking her, seen how the soft flesh bounced when he was rough and fast, felt the muscles clench when he went slow…

He shook his head and reached back for his knife to carve a new arrow. It wouldn’t do any good to think like that when they didn’t have time for it anyway. He painfully tore his eyes from his wife’s ass and looked back down to where he’d been groping for his knife one-handed for a few seconds. Except...it wasn’t there. He’d just set it down, so where could it have--

Oh _no_.

Judith had grabbed it and was gnawing on the wooden hilt. The razor-sharp tip of the blade was digging a hole on the side of her shoe, about to pick her foot, no doubt. 

“ _No_!” Daryl lunged the short distance between them and pulled the blade away from her first, then pried her grabby fingers from the hilt just as swiftly. Honestly, if he had brought the knife back towards him any quicker he would have stabbed himself. Luckily that wasn’t the case and he was just left startled and pumping with adrenaline. 

Judith scrunched up her nose at him in defiance and went back to her cups pointedly. It was like she wanted him to know she was ignoring him. 

After seeing that she was safe, he sighed and glanced back at Faye. She nor Maggie had noticed the debacle, and we're still turned away from him and Judith. 

His wife definitely didn’t need to know that he had almost let Judith hurt herself with his own weapon because he was too distracted by checking out her ass. He didn't have a death wish. 

“This’ll be our little secret, kay Ass-kicker?” Judith blew a spit bubble, and he took it as an affirmative.

**_Day 2 - 11:22 am_ **

Faye had Judith for about an hour or so while Daryl and Merle skinned their latest kill. The last this they needed was Judith getting covered in blood or stealing a knife, so Faye kept Judith on one hip while she handed out bowls of stew to the remaining elderly people from Woodbury. She was working one handed and trying to help Judith escape cheek pinches from the adults. All in all, she thought she was doing a pretty good job.

“Faye.” Immediately a white-hot rush of anger flooded Faye’s mind and clogged her throat. That voice always made her want to punch something. For Judith’s sake, she kept as calm as she could and turned to meet the owner of the voice. 

“Mrs. Princely!” He voice was too high to be real, and Kill Bill sirens were going off in her head. “How are you today?”

Evangeline Princely, the devil herself, held together with nothing but earwax and skin so wrinkly it looked like crumpled tissue paper. Every morning she insisted that she needed someone to do her hair, as if the dust bunny on top of her head could be saved. And every day, she nagged and complained about how “manners died with the world” and “things were better for her in Woodbury”. Telling her she could go back at any time was apparently not the best course of action, and the old hag just demanded to “speak to her superior” like she was a waitress at a restaurant that got her order wrong. All in all, not a nice grandma. Evil grandma.

“You didn’t do my hair this morning.” She ignored Faye’s pleasantries and cut right to the chase. Her bony arms crossed over her chest and her scowl could curdle cheese. 

Faye dropped her fake smile and retaliated with a glare that could spark a flame. “I have a life outside of you, Agatha.” 

“That doesn’t mean you have to ruin mine.” She snarled and passed a glance to Judith when the baby pulled Faye’s dog-tag into her mouth. “Can someone else really not watch the girl, or is literally everyone else so busy that they had to resort to you?”

Faye’s eye twitched. “Just because no one wanted to father your children back in the “good ‘ol days” doesn’t mean that you have to act like every child you see is another stick up your ass, Agatha.” 

The elder woman raised a balding eyebrow, unimpressed. “Is that all you got, Commie?”

“ _Oh my god, why won’t you just die already_?” Faye growled out the Russian through clenched teeth. Judith pat at her cheek while staring off at something across the prison. She glanced over and saw that Daryl and Merle were finished skinning and coming back inside to wash the meat. Faye headed over to them without looking back.

“Nice talk, Red.” Mrs. Princely said offhandedly as if she’d won.

“Enjoy them while they last, bitch.” Faye waved her free hand and called over her shoulder. “From the looks of you, it won’t be long now.”

“When I die I’m leaving a note saying you did me in!” 

Faye spun and spread her free hand is a careless gesture, still walking back towards her husband. “And you know what? Nobody would be disappointed, or blame me!”

Daryl stopped her with nudge with his hip, not wanting to touch her with the bloody meat. “Whoa, Tink what’s got you all hot?” He sounded really concerned, and only stepped away for a few seconds to put the meat down on the counter before turning back to Faye. 

“I’m about to commit first-degree murder, babe. Things are not good.” She was jittery with angry energy, ready to burn up like a star if she didn’t expel it. “I need to kill something. Take Judy.” She held the baby straight out in front of her for Daryl to take.

He rinsed his hands quickly and wiped his hands dry on his jeans before taking her. “You okay?” He asked softly.

“Yeah, yeah,” she waved her hand flippantly and walked towards the exit. “I’ll just be on the fence for a while.” And like that she was gone.

Merle chuckled and sided up to his brother. He gave Judith his clean hand to bend and twist to her desire almost like it was routine. “Man, baby brother… She’s got you whipped.”

Daryl raised a brow at his brother and glanced behind him at Carol, who was talking with a few other Woodbury folk. “Jealous?” He teased his older brother as she approached. Before he could see Merle’s reaction, he walked away to find Judith’s wrap, hoping he could get some work done while he was on baby duty.

**_Day 2 - 1:28 pm_ **

Daryl kept Faye in his sights while he cleaned and sharpened his knives. She had been on the fence for about an hour and showed no sign of letting up. Mrs. Princely really got to her today, and although Daryl hated the woman just as much as anyone else in the prison, he knew that talking to Faye would just get her more riled up. Doing something physical was good for the bonfire that was her anger. 

He supposed he should be thanking Mrs. Princely for all of the angry sex they’d had after Faye so much as looked in her direction. But then again, she frequently called Faye a communist. Any act against his wife was unforgivable in his book.

He perked up when he noticed Faye bend over, bracing her hands on her knees. She was tiring out, and would probably come back up soon. Sure enough, she waved off Glenn’s concerns and carried her crowbar back to the tool wall where all the strong metal polls and crowbars rest for the fence workers. He could see the splatters of rotten blood over her front as she approached, and smelt it before they greeted each other.

“Hey, honey…” She said sheepishly with a small smile, “Sorry I kind of snapped back there. I didn’t want to take it out on you.”

“You didn’t.” He assured, “I hate her too, sweet thing, no worries.” She visibly relaxed and smiled in relief. 

“How’s Judith?”

Daryl froze. His heart suddenly jumped and his knife slid to a stop on the whetstone. _The baby_ , he thought as panic set in, _Where did he leave the baby_??? 

“She’s good,” Daryl assured in a twitchy lie. He avoided Faye’s curious eyes and began packing up his equipment. _He had to find Judith before anyone else did. Who knows if she was in trouble or someone the prison didn’t trust yet had their hands on her. And it was all his fault_. “I’m gonna check on her in a second. ‘Bout time for her feeding.” He stood up with his bag clutched in a tight fist.

Faye relaxed marginally and started walking back towards the prison. “Good, I knew you had her handled. I’ll give you a break once I’m done showering. Love you!” She spun with a wave and rushed to get clean.

As soon as she was around the corner, Daryl dropped the bag and swung his head around the yard, as if he had just forgotten her somewhere. In his tired state (a side effect of sleeping in the same room with a six-month-old) he must have gone into autopilot and set her down or handed her to someone...maybe? He couldn’t remember. Better start looking. 

With long strides and a carefully schooled expression, he decided to start his interrogations with Sasha and Bob. She’d been a big help and amazing mediators between those that started at the prison or were just brought in and the more “civilized” Woodbury residents. Bob was a little shifty, but he was a doctor and seemed to try his best to assimilate to the group. He couldn’t sense any ill-intent from either of them, but he wouldn’t hand Judith to them, either. He just had to ask if they’d seen her without letting them know that he lost her. Easy. 

“Hey,” he greeted them, so far so good. “So ya know how I’m supposed to have Judith?” No. Not good. Mission failed.

Before he could cringe, Sasha shook her head and chuckled good-naturedly. “Oh, no,” she threw up her hands, “Babies are cute, but she’s your responsibility, Dixon. I can’t cover for you, sorry.” She smiled apologetically. 

“Yeah, man,” Bob grinned, “Me and babies ain’t ever agreed in the past. We won’t start anytime soon.”

Oh. _Oh_. They thought he was trying to hand off the kid that he didn’t have to them. He probably should have worded his question better, but he was also relieved that they didn’t catch on and sell him out. They obviously didn’t know where she was, so he had to move on.

“Oh, it’s cool. Thanks anyway Sasha, Bob.” He waved as he passed them, looking for his next victim. Maggie was unfortunate enough to bump into him and stepped back to talk with him. 

“Hey, Daryl. Whoa…” She leaned in to look at his face and laid the back of her hand over his forehead. “You doing okay? You look a little pale.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he tapped her hand away. “So, it’s my job to look after Judith for a bit while Faye showers--”

“Yeah, I saw her walking up.” The farm girl grinned, “She was so gross. And yes, I gathered it was your turn. Why, do you need help?”

This was dumb, he realized. Maggie and Faye were way too close to keep secrets. She would blab to his wife and he’d get the chewing-out of a lifetime if Maggie found out he lost the group’s daughter. This kid had way too many parents to count. She was going to grow up spoiled rotten _if he could find her_.

“Oh, no.” He tried to not look like he was dying inside, “Jus’...ya know when Beth and them’re supposed to get back?”

Maggie laughed at that, hands on her hips, “Gettin’ tired, huh? Yeah, we got a radio in from them this morning. They’ll be back tomorrow morning, bright and early. I’m sure Bethy missed the little squirt, so it’s only one more night, don’t worry.” She pat his shoulder reassuringly and passed him to wave Glenn over, who’d just gotten off the fence after Faye.

Ohhh, this was bad. He was going to get the Look from Faye, the one that said: “I’m disappointed, but we’ll fix it”. He didn’t want her to worry, and he knew that she would gladly jump in to help whenever he needed it. But he was supposed to be the one good with kids, and she was looking to him for help. This was a disaster!

“Hey, Pookie,” Carol poked his shoulder and stepped in front of him. “Drink something, Maggie told me you looked flushed.” Daryl gladly accepted the water and took a swig. “So, you’re trying to pawn off Judith, I hear?”

He shook his head and pulled her away from the middle of the yard to the tables and shaded area. “Carol, I need your help.” He started. There was no doubt in his mind that he could trust Carol to help him. Sure, she’d make fun of him for the next century, but as long as he got Judith back without Faye finding out he’d _lost the fucking baby_ he didn’t care. 

“I don’t know where Judith is,” He hissed in a whisper and glanced around to make sure no one heard. “I must’ve given her to someone or--”

“Wait,” Carol held up her hand and he snapped his mouth shut. “You’re telling me you don’t know where Judith is? Really?” She sounded amused. Why was she smiling? 

“Yeah, and I need your help.” He slumped and was on the verge of begging. “I need to find her before Faye finds out that I lost her. Will you help?”

Carol blinked slowly. She put her fingers to her lips and furrowed her brow like she was thinking. _Why was this even a question they had to find the baby_!

Carol suddenly looked behind Daryl and pointed, “Look! There she is!” 

“Where?!” He spun so fast his neck popped but didn’t see anything but the usual hustle and bustle of the prison. Something slid up his back and a noticeable weight was lessened from his shoulders. He turned back to Carol and was met with Judith’s chubby baby face, being held up by a snickering Carol. 

He forgot the baby was on his fucking back. Holy shit Faye would never let him live this down. 

He took Judith back and pushed the straps of the wrap away from his arms. With a stern tone and a threatening finger, he growled, “Not a word.” And rushed away from the scene before Carol could burst with laughter. 

**_Day 2 - 7:18 pm_ **

Daryl and Faye leaned over Judith’s crib, watching her nod-off. It was past her bedtime, and the adults were almost ready to go to bed as well. Faye hummed softly while the baby’s eyes fluttered shut, and stayed there. Daryl motioned for her to keep singing for a few more moments until her breathing evened out and Judith looked to be asleep.

“Okay, she’s down,” He whispered.

Faye sighed and leaned away from the bars, “Thank God…”

Suddenly, Judith’s eyes snapped open to stare directly at Faye. The sight was unnerving in the dim light, and the adults flinched. Judith jumped at their reactions and started whimpering like she was about to cry again. 

Daryl heard a small sob, not from Judith, and turned to look at his wife. She looked at him with tears in her eyes, “I’m gonna lose my mind…” She whispered with a cracking voice.

“It’s okay,” He soothed and rubbed her back while pushing her towards the bed, “Get some sleep. You’ll get the second shift, darlin’.” He kissed her head and made sure she was climbing into bed before turning back to the huffing infant. 

“I love you…” Faye murmured from deep inside a pillow.

“I love you too. Go to sleep.”

**_Day 3 - 6:08 am_ **

Faye and Daryl were waiting for the van when it pulled up. Carl jumped out first, grinning, and wrapped Daryl in a quick hug before he did the same to Faye. He cooed at his little sister and she yawned in response. 

“How was your run, sheriff?” Daryl tapped Carl’s hat.

“It was good. Went well.” He took Judith from Faye and kissed her head. “It was weird, though. We didn’t even have to clear the building. It was all boarded up and there were only dead walkers inside.”

Faye raised her eyebrows innocently, “Could have been another group wanted to keep other people from getting in. They wanted all the supplies to themselves.”

He looked suspicious, but let it go when Beth ran up. 

“Hey, Faye! Daryl, look what I found for you!” She handed him a handful of flint rocks. “You can use them for your arrows or something.” 

He nodded his thanks. “These’ll start a lot of fires, kiddo. Thanks.” He saw that Tyreese and Michonne were fine, unloading the back. “Well, I think it’s time for a nap, huh wifey?”

Faye nodded in agreement and forced a kiss on Carl’s cheek and dropped one on Beth’s as well before retreating to the prison. “If you need me, don’t.” She called back. The kids glanced at each other and snorted in laughter before Carl handed Judith over to Beth so he could help unload.

“We’re never doing that again. Not until she can sleep through the whole night.” Faye mumbled into Daryl’s shoulder while they walked back inside. 

He pulled her closer to keep warm. "Fucking agreed."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Clench your asses, lads we're going off script.


	25. Family Bonding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *clears throat*
> 
> AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH

Daryl woke up to a sudden chill wafting over his skin. The bed shifted as Faye rolled out from under his legs and pulled his sleepy body a few inches before her weight left the mattress. He groaned but sat up and rubbed at his eyes.

“Wha’ time ‘s it…?” he mumbled.

Faye turned around from pulling on her jeans, which were now tight around her thighs where they once were baggy. She smiled gently and leaned over his bare chest to plant a gentle kiss on his forehead. “Couldn’t sleep,” she explained while gently pushing him back down into the pillows. “Allergies are acting up. I’m going outside for a bit. You rest more before your run, caxap.” 

He flopped back down onto the bed and curled under the blankets. “That ain’t gonna help yer allergies…” he mumbled into the bed and changed the topic, “Cell looks like Violet lives here.” 

“That’ll be your job, then,” Faye spoke softly while she buckled her harness and axes onto her belt. “Just don’t bring a blacklight in here.”

Daryl snorted with a chuckle before drifting back to sleep. Faye stayed with him for a moment and watched his back rise and fall. The gray scar tissue stretched with every breath, and not for the first time, she wondered if they still hurt. She knew hers did, but they were healing correctly, without the threat of infection. His were twisted and warped. 

She shook her head out of those thoughts, not wanting to start the day sadly. Merle had told her that was bad for people recovering from trauma, and she figured it couldn’t hurt, but no way in hell was she calling him ‘Doctor Merle’. No matter how many times he insisted he could be now that the world was destroyed.

She pulled her hair back into a bun while she left the cell and let the door shut quietly behind her. Outside of the sealed room, the concrete walls were oozing cold. It was probably colder in the cells than it was outside. Faye elected to shrug on one of Daryl’s flannels before walking downstairs and was just donning the button down when a door further up the row opened.

Merle didn’t notice her down the landing while he closed the door softly behind him. He was carrying his shoes while his prosthetic cushioned the slam of the door. 

Faye smirked and greeted him softly, “Good morning, bro.”

Merle flinched so hard he almost dropped his shoes. His eyes were wide when he turned to look at her, but he scowled when he saw the teasing smirk on her lips. “Quit callin’ me ‘bro’, Missy. Why’re you up so early?” He padded towards her, and Faye couldn’t help but notice that he was still trying to keep quiet. 

“Allergies kept me up,” She sniffed for emphasis, “You?” 

Merle shrugged, but he was still stiff. “Thought I’d get an early start. Just woke up early.” He turned to escape.

“In Carol’s room?”

He froze and shot a glare back at her. “Just returning something I borrowed before she woke up. Get yer head out of the gutter, Missy.”

Faye pursed her lips and nodded. She was the picture of innocence when she shoved her hands in her pockets and rocked back on her heels. “Your shirt’s inside out.” 

Merle hastily looked down at his brown sweater, only to find that it was perfectly fine. He glared at Faye one last time before rushing down the stairs with muted footsteps. Faye had to bite her cheek to stop from laughing and disturbing the peace. With a satisfied sigh and a smile, she started down the stairs and out of the block.

*******

“Hey Rick,” She greeted the sheriff while meandering down the field. “What do you have there?” 

Rick didn’t say anything, just handed her the muddy gun and magazine. He glanced back at his wheelbarrow before he passed it off, like he still wanted to throw it away. But Faye took it before he could and inspected the cold metal. 

“Huh,” She hummed, “Well, this is a prison yard. Someone must have buried it before it fell.”

“Must have,” Rick agreed and went back to turning the soil. “Is it salvageable?”

Faye tucked it into her back pocket and ignored the wet slide of the mud covering it. “I’ll bring it to Sasha later.” She glanced at the fence, where the dead were slamming against the wire. “They’re rowdy today.”

“Yeah,” Rick paused in his gardening and leaned against his hoe, “‘Cause they get to stare at this ass while I work.” He smirked at her.

Faye tilted her head to glance behind him. “What ass?” 

Rick made an offended sound and flicked the mud off his gloves at her. She laughed at his reaction and dodged as much as she could, but it still got on her face. “Gross, Rick!” She wiped it off hastily. “Gonna make my allergies worse if I breathe any of that shit in!” 

“We gotta get you an inhaler or something.” He shook his head, “Happens every year, right? When it gets cold?”

She nodded, “I think it’s the temperature changes. In Russia, it was always below 20 Celsius. Now it’s like a roller coaster with temperature.” She sniffed again and jabbed a thumb back towards the blocks. “Want me to wake up Carl?”

Rick nodded, “Yeah, thanks. And can you also get Bob and Merle up and tell ‘em the run is today?” 

“Sure thing.”

“Thanks.”

******

“Goodbye,” Faye kissed Daryl’s dog tag, “Be safe,” She pecked his lips, “and come home to me, okay caxap?” She rocked from foot to foot with her arms draped over his shoulders. 

“I will, Tink.” He pressed his face into her hair. “I’ll even get you some of that vodka you like.”

“So… literally any kind of vodka?”

He chuckled, “Yeah, sure. Take an allergy pill and drain yer sinuses before I get back.” He pulled away and started loading his bike while he spoke. 

“How eloquent,” Faye rolled her eyes, “Here I am, waxing poetic to you, and the best you can come up with is “take yer drugs and drain yer face”?” She snickered when he hesitated in packing.

He looked to be deep in thought. “Please?”

She huffed in laughter but it devolved into coughing. She waved off his concerns and kept teasing, “I can do better, watch.” She cleared her throat and held up a hand like she was delivering a speech. “Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?”

Daryl rolled his eyes and started boarding his bike. “Stop.”

“Thou art more lovely and more temperate.” She continued in a dramatic tone. “Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May...”

“Goodbye, Faye.” He revved his bike and started to roll towards the gate. Faye stopped him by stepping in front of the vehicle and leaning over the handlebars so they were face-to-face.

“...And summer's lease hath all too short a date.” She kissed him slowly and pulled back with a smile. “I love you. Be safe.”

“I love you too.” He kissed her nose and leaned back. “Flush your face. Take a pill. Clean the cell.”

“ _You_ clean it!” She insisted but moved out of the way so he could pass. “Love you!” She waved while he bumped down the driveway towards the gates. As soon as he and the caravan were out of sight, she huffed on her hands to warm them and headed down towards the fence. 

They’d be fine. 

*******

“Hey, Faye right?” Karen jogged towards the woman right as she skewered a walker’s head with a crowbar. She flinched at the squelching sound but continued, “I don’t think we’ve met yet. I’m Karen.” She held out a gloved hand.

Faye yanked the bar back and turned to face her. She rest the crowbar on the fence and smiled warmly. “Yeah, that’s me!” She shook her hand politely, “You and Ty are a thing, yeah? You’re all he talks about.” 

“Oh, Yeah,” Karen’s face flushed as she released Faye’s hand, “Weird that it took the world literally ending for me to find my prince charming, but I really love him.”

“I know the feeling.” Faye smiled fondly, “Never thought I would live this long, or be this happy. So how’s prison treating you?” 

Karen snorted at her wording and went back to working the fence. The walkers were building up the longer they stood still. “It’s good. I miss the little things like microwaves and flavored coffee, but it’s good.” She stabbed the eye of a walker that was so shriveled and dried it didn’t even bleed. Faye joined her and answered after a minute.

“I miss being able to go outside without a weapon.” Faye admit, “Most people don’t think about it too much but, I feel like the weight is getting heavier, sometimes. Like there’s so much more than what’s in front of me riding on my shoulders.” 

Karen lowered her bar and turned to Faye with a worried expression, but before she could respond, Faye stabbed through the eye of a walker whose face was covered in blood. The black liquid splattered over them, and the women stumbled back, sputtering. 

“Oh, gross!” Karen gagged while frantically wiping the sludge from her face. Faye spat onto the ground multiple times, trying to get the taste out of her mouth. 

“We got a juicy one, huh?” Faye spoke hoarsely and flicked the blood off her hands. “Shower?” She offered Karen.

The other woman was already moving back up the walkway. “Good idea. Do we have any bleach? I think some got in my eye.”

Faye coughed while she jogged after her, already looking forward to the cold spray of water awaiting them. 

******

Faye was just heading back to her cell to drain her sinuses (because _she was a good wife, dammit_ ) when Beth flagged her down on the first floor of C Block. 

“Mom!” She chirped and started towards her with a grin, Judith in her arms. “Will you take Judith for a moment? I have to pee but she wants to be held.” 

Faye nodded and stepped forward to take her. “Hey, baby girl! How’s my little bumblebee?” She cooed and bounced the girl. Judith gave her a toothless grin and slapped the side of her face with a slobbery palm. “Aw, fuck, Judith!” Faye swiped at her cheek while Judith attempted to mark the other side of her face.

Beth chuckled while she backed towards the bathrooms. “Good luck! I’ll be back quick, I promise.” 

Faye glanced at her retreating form and glared half-heartedly. Her fake brooding was interrupted by Judith working a finger into her nose. “ACK! Nasty baby!” She only laughed and tried again.

While Faye struggled to hold both the squirming child’s hands back without dropping her, a familiar shadow passed right by her and pulled back the curtain to Beth’s cell. She was immediately smiling and stepped up to her husband, but her question about the run died on her lips when she saw his face. She knew that expression; those hollowed eyes and the tilt of his mouth. 

“Who was it?” She asked quietly. 

Daryl glanced at her face but focused on Judith quicker. Without prompting, she passed the baby off to him and gave him time to breathe. When he did finally answer it was in a small voice that was just as soft and mindful of the silent cell block as Faye was. “Zach. Got trapped under a shelf and they got to ‘im.” He kept his eyes down and pressed his cheek against Judith’s head.

Faye nodded in understanding and brushed up and down his arm in the hope to soothe him. “Do you want me to tell her?” She had to offer, even if she knew his answer. Sure enough, he shook his head. 

“Nah, I was there. I have to do it.” He finally looked up and met her eyes, but his expression was pleading rather than hurt. “Can you find Merle?” He requested, “At least get Carol to talk to him he...he had an episode, back there.”

Faye bit the inside of her cheek and nodded. Merle was family, and Faye knew enough about his PTSD and coping mechanisms to take a guess at where he was. So, with a final kiss to both Daryl and Judith’s heads, she left him to deliver the news to Beth.

*******

Faye sulked around the back offices. She knew this would be the last place anyone would look for Merle, therefore, this would be where she’d find him. Sure enough, she could hear the rhythmic drag of a blade down a sharpening stone from the warden’s office.

She announced her presence with a cough and continued down the hall. The blade halted its movements and it was quiet. She found Merle in the chair behind the desk waiting for her to enter with his blade pressed against the tabletop.

He only glanced at her long enough to learn her identity, then looked back to his work and resumed sharpening. “Ya need somethin’, Missy? Or ya just wanna stand there like half of the Shining twins?”

Faye said nothing, just stepped around one of the chairs facing the desk and sank into it. She stared at Merle for a few tense seconds before Faye spoke quietly. “Daryl’s telling her now.” 

That got him to pause. 

“I know she’ll be okay,” she continued with her eyes on the ceiling, “Beth has really come a long way from where she was when this started. But still, she knew him.” Gray eyes met green across the desk. “We both know we’re going to lose people, Merle. I won’t try to tell you it wasn’t your fault, or that you should get over it. But we have time to grieve, now.” 

Merle just blinked before turning back to his work. Faye sat where she was, watching him for a few more seconds before she decided she’d overstayed her welcome. Just before she could rise from the chair, Merle started to speak in a grumble.

“One of the shelves fell. Noise must’ve bothered the dead ones on the roof and they came falling through the ceiling.” He set down the sharpening stone and leaned back with a sigh. “He got trapped under it. Walker was on his leg while I was trying to pull his arms.” Merle’s eyes stayed trained on the desktop. “He was just a kid.”

Faye nodded solemnly as she tried to process the vivid image of Zach’s death. “Is he…?” She left the question unfinished, hanging in the air like a waiting noose.

“I shot him.” Merle flexed his fingers. “He’s dead.”

“That must be a small mercy, at least.”

“Still dead.”

Faye chuckled humorlessly and ran her hands down her face. “God, when did dying become a mercy?” 

Merle stood and clipped his blade back to his arm. “Since not being dead got worse. Come on,” He clapped her shoulder as he passed her chair, “you have ta clear your sinuses and I gotta meet with Carol about a smoked deer.”

Faye rolled her eyes and stood. “Damn, did he tell everyone that? Hey,” she stopped his near escape by grabbing his wrist in a loose hold. “Really though. Will you be okay?”

Merle looked off, out the small window of the office. The view overlooked the yard, where the Woodbury survivors and prison group intermingled while Carol and a few other women and men helped dish out dinner. “You know, Missy. I think I really will be.” He shot her a yellow-toothed grin and slipped free of her grasp. “Now quit being sappy! Man’s gotta eat and yer holding me back.”

Faye smiled at him. A bought of sudden shivers interrupted her tranquil thoughts, and she hugged herself tightly. Must be a draft or something. She jogged to catch up with her brother in law and get ready for a hopefully quiet evening. 

*******

Faye really needed to stop getting her hopes up.

“ _WALKERS IN D!!_ ” 

At the rallying cry, Faye hastily scrambled away from the sink in her cell and pounded out of the block, Sasha hot on her heels. The other woman passed her and slammed her shoulder into the neighboring door to reveal complete chaos.

Children were screaming at the shambling dead, bodies lay strewn about being devoured or already still, and those remaining were running in a blind panic. It looked like they were the first ones here. 

Sasha hefted two handguns equipped with silencers and fired one shot at a time, aiming for a pair that was already elbow-deep in a woman’s stomach. Faye drew her axes and charged for a small boy trying to outmaneuver a dead man she couldn’t name. 

With a kick to the walker’s side, it crashed onto the stairs in a prone position, which Faye immediately exploited by driving one ax into its forehead. When she stood back up she scanned for the child that was in danger and located him again just as one of the other side doors opened with a screech. Karen looked over the scene from the doorway in horror but hardened her eyes and drew a knife. 

“Karen!” Faye called as she rushed at the boy and swept him into her arms. “Get as many kids as you can out! We’ll check for bites later!” She passed him off to her and didn’t wait for a response before jumping back into the fray.   
More had been turned than spared the onslaught, and it became a gamble to guess who was dead and who was not. Shortly after Sasha had paused to reload, Daryl, Merle, Rick, and Glenn had joined the fray. It didn’t last a few seconds after that. 

“Anyone bit?” Rick called to the remaining fighters. The group shook their heads unanimously and Rick’s shoulders slumped. “Good. We do a sweep. Find out if anyone’s still alive and...take care of them.” His eyes darkened and he turned away to march up the stairs.

Faye caught Daryl’s eye as he followed their once-leader. She tried to convey all the feelings of worry, care, and caution into her gaze, and Daryl nodded in acknowledgment before taking the steps two at a time after Rick.

“Were any kids bitten?” Karen asked the cell block.

Carol answered from the door, “No, but we can’t find Patrick. He’s in this block, right?” 

“We found him,” Rick called from above, sounding strained. “Get Doctor S up here.”

“I’ll go.” Faye volunteered and ran out of the other end of the block. 

When the doctor did join the men upstairs, he confirmed their fear. There was no visual cause of death, meaning he died on his own. Hershel diagnosed it as a flu strain, and after Doctor S described how the teen had died in vivid detail, how he had choked and drowned in his own blood, unable to call for help or do anything but take it, a council meeting was called.

All Daryl could think about was Faye’s coughing.


	26. Nothing We Can't Handle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *continues screaming as school, work, and this story drags me into hell*

“Patrick was fine yesterday and he died overnight.” Carol picked at her fingernails anxiously, “Two people died that quick?” 

Across the table, Sasha spoke up, “We’ll have to seporate everyone that’s been exposed.” 

“That’s almost all of us,” Faye mentioned from where she leaned against the bookshelf to the side. “Not to mention all the fighters that were in the block today. We can’t leave the kids without anyone if one of them is sick.” 

From his place leaning over the table, Glenn spoke confidently, “Maggie and Michone weren’t exposed as far as we know. They can stay with them in the communal areas of the prison.” 

“And the exposed?”

He looked down when he spoke, like he was ashamed for thinking it. “We could set up a clinic in A-Block.”

“Death Row?” Merle scoffed, “You really think that’ll go over well with everyone?”

“It’s clean, at least.” Carol nodded in agreement. 

“This illness is deadly,” Hershel declared softly, “We don’t know who has it, and we don’t know how easily it spreads. We need to keep an eye out for symptoms, but try to avoid a Salem incident. No admissions to A-Block unless we’re certain they have it.”

Faye met Daryl’s eyes with a matching wrinkle in their brows. 

Faye seemed to come to a conclusion faster than her husband and opened her mouth to speak, but Daryl interrupted a little louder than necessary. “Will A-Block work for Doctor S?”

Faye closed her mouth slowly, eyes hard and sad as she looked at Daryl. She knew he wouldn’t just let her walk into A-Block without some protests. However, if she was sick, she was a threat to the entirety of the prison. Even if it was really just allergies, her immune system was vulnerable and she was more susceptible to catching this flu. She couldn’t take the chance, but Daryl would try, she knew. 

The council meeting was interrupted by thick coughing coming from the hallway and drew them towards the sound. Daryl didn’t miss the way his wife looked him up and down with eyes devoid of emotion before she followed Merle to the hall. He huffed before following, inwardly vowing not to let her throw herself into a petri dish of disease because of a case of the sniffles. Faye was strong, she wouldn’t get sick like Patrick did.

*******

Daryl jumped on his way from burying the victims of the cell block attack. He followed the hand grabbing his arm up to the glaring gray eyes of Faye, and cringed inwardly. Guess they were doing this now. At least they were in the tombs and not out in public where everyone would get in their business. 

“Daryl, I have to go into A.” She started, and held up a hand to stop him from protesting. She released his wrist and took a step back. “If I am infected I’ll only spread this sickness, and I won’t drag anyone down with me.”

He shook his head and tried to step closer, but she just moved back. Daryl scowled when he realized she was trying to keep her distance to stop him from getting sick. “It’s just allergies! You said it yourself. It happens every year ‘round this time!” 

“And what if it’s not?” She gestured largely to the whole of their surroundings. “What if I do have whatever this is and get other people sick? I can’t risk others, and you can’t stop me from going in.”

“Then why the hell did you come to talk to me?! You know I won’t let you go in there.”

The fire in her eyes died slightly, and it became obvious how tired she was. The bags under her eyes were more prominent, and her skin looked flushed. “I wanted to tell you that I love you before I did. Just in case--”

“No. Stop,” He shook his head and raised his hand, “You’re not sick! Don’t start saying goodbye if you ain’t going anywhere.”

She opened her mouth to reply but instead a bout of coughing started. Desperately, she turned away and raised her arm to cover herself. Daryl attempted to move closer and comfort her, but she backed away and turned into the wall. The cool concrete felt nice on her forehead, and calmed her down after a few seconds. Daryl hovered awkwardly to her side, wanting to do something but not knowing what.

Finally she spoke, soft and defeated. “I’m sick, caxap. I have to go in.” 

They locked eyes for a moment, Daryl begging and Faye unwavering. 

“ _SOMEONE HELP!!_ ”

They snapped out of the moment and turned towards the cry. 

“That sounds like Tyreese.” Daryl slung his bow around his front and started to move towards the rooms where Karen and David were being held. 

Faye pushed off the wall and followed with her gun out as she’d left her axes in their cell after D Block was attacked.

When the couple rounded the corner they froze in shock. Thick trails of blood dragged out of two rooms, and further down the hall towards one of the exits. As they passed the open doorways the bloodstained beds were clearly visible. The stains were still shiny and damp.

The exit door opened suddenly, temporarily blinding the two with the sudden sunlight. The only relief from the onslaught of light was Tyreese’s wide shadow blocking the doorway. “Over here! Hurry, please!” He vanished back outside just as quickly. 

They glanced at each other before hurrying after him while putting away their weapons. 

Daryl exit first, and immediately started to cough at the smell of cooked flesh assaulting his senses. Faye couldn’t smell anything, but she could taste it. The thick odor of burning meat and gasoline coated the roof of her mouth and burned her throat, and she tried to cough it away. The smell lingered in the air as wisps of gray smoke curled from the charred corpses that were once Karen and David. 

Rick and Carol joined them moments later and took a moment to absorb the situation and get their shock under control. 

Tyreese was just standing over them, staring. Seemingly unbothered by the smell but very much so by the sight. “I came to see Karen,” He explained in a voice so small it was almost hard to believe it was coming from him. “Then I saw the blood. And I could smell them…” 

Carol approached with her hand raised, as if to comfort him, but flinched back just as quickly when he spun towards the four others suddenly. “Someone killed them! Then dragged them out here and burned them!” His wild eyes fell on Rick and he got into his personal space. “You. You were a cop.” Daryl stayed behind Tyreese, ready to pull him back if needed. “You find whoever did this, and you bring them to me. Understand?” 

Rick held up a hand and seemed to make himself smaller as Tyreese’s temper flared. “Ty, we’ll find who--”

“I need to repeat myself?” 

“Tyreese.” Faye stepped between him and Rick. “This isn’t helping anything.” She tried to stand tall even as wave after wave of nausea lapped at her head. Her chest felt cramped like her lungs wanted to crumble, but she had to keep breathing. 

“They didn’t deserve this.” Tyreese snarled, and Faye knew that he was far from the gentle giant they knew. Grief was blinding him, and that made him dangerous. “Nobody deserves this!” 

Daryl couldn’t take watching his lover be the target of his aggression anymore, and put a hand on Tyreese’s shoulder. “Alright man, let’s--”

Quick as a flash, Tyreese spun and pushed Daryl back against the wire fencing behind them, yelling “I ain’t going nowhere until I find out who did this!” 

Carol caught the change in Faye’s demeanor as soon as Daryl was pinned. She ignored his hand held up, probably hoping to make her them stay away from the conflict. With a sweep of her leg and a sharp tug on Ty’s shoulder, he was tossed back onto the ground away from the smoldering corpses. 

Faye started to cough again, mentally blaming the smoke. Daryl cast a worried glance towards her but left her to Carol’s care while he stood over Tyreese. Rick kept his distance, and Daryl noted that he avoided conflict more than a deadly disease now. He crouched down next to the felled man, now staring blankly at the sky above him. “We’re on the same side, man.” He pat him on the chest reassuringly, “We’ll find out who did this, don’t worry. But you gotta know that acting like this won’t--”

Faye’s coughing stopped abruptly, and they all heard the sound of something splattering onto the pavement. It seemed like the events following would happen in slow motion, but be over in a blink all at once. 

Faye stood where she had been before, wearing the same clothes she was before, her hair in the same low ponytail, skin still crossed in thin scars and uneven tan lines. But for now, Daryl wasn’t looking at that. He was staring at the fresh splatter of bright red blood trickling down the gray concrete. He followed the dripping specks of red up, up, up, to the trail dripping from his wife’s stained lips. 

Carol caught her as she dropped to her knees and gasped for breath. In the next instant, Daryl was somehow next to her with his hands hovering over her shaking back. He vaguely remembered that he didn’t know what to do before she was coughing again, and the world’s sound turned back on like a switch. 

“Rick!” Carol snapped, “Get Hershel! Or Doctor S, anyone!” Rick stumbled backward before he turned and flung open the door to do his task. 

“Wha-What do I…?” Daryl didn’t recognize his own voice from the trembling. 

“Hold her up.” Carol instructed, “She has to ride this out, we can’t do anything else.” 

Daryl braced a hand on her shoulders and kept her bending down so she could easily cough up the blood in her lungs. Carol kept rubbing circles on her back, but her face was a mask of shock and fear. 

“Oh, god, please don’t die…” Daryl could hear himself murmuring, and pushed his face into her temple. “Please be okay...I’m sorry...should’a let you go in. Just don’t die like them, please…” He distantly felt hot streams dripping down his face, meaning he was crying. He had never been so afraid, so quickly. 

Tyreese froze where he was, now propped up on an arm and watching with wide eyes. He couldn’t make out Faye’s face, but he could hear her coughs getting weaker and see the fresh blood and mucus draining from her nose and mouth. He only saw Karen. Undoubtedly, this would have happened to her. She had been suffering like this.

Doctor S slammed the door wide open with a bang. He was slightly out of breath and carried a small pump and clear tubing. “Hold her head back. Make her look up.” He ordered while he slid on his knees through the fresh patch of scarlet without a care. While Daryl and Carol moved to obey, he assembled the device and the tube.

The whites of Faye’s eyes were red and bloodshot, matching the excess that smeared down her face from her nose and mouth.

Daryl had to look away in a childish thought that if he ignored it, it would go away. If he didn’t watch Faye die, she wouldn’t leave him. 

Doctor S took a hold of Faye’s slack jaw and eased the tubing down the woman’s throat. She didn’t even appear to notice, having gone slack in Carol’s hold. The Doctor mumbled out an apology before he pressed down on the hand pump. 

It was silent for a few seconds, the only sound resonating between them was the gurgling hiss of the hand pump as Doctor S worked. Then, Faye retched and lurched forward. 

Doctor S groaned and ran a hand down his face. “It worked…” He muttered. The tubing lay along the concrete, full of excess blood that has been drawn out by the pump, while Faye weakly coughed up the rest of the blood- mucus mixture that had been in her system. 

“Okay,” Daryl said, shakey, “You’re okay. You’re okay…” He repeat it like a mantra while he followed the Doctor’s gestures to heft her arm over his shoulders and follow him to A-Block. “You’d better be okay…” Her feet dragged along the concrete as she tried to get them under her to work, but she had given up and resigned herself to being dragged before they even passed through the doorway.

When the couple left the courtyard, only Carol and Tyreese were left. Tyreese hadn’t moved from his position on the ground. He watched Carol approach, and bend down to offer a supporting hand. After a moment, he took it, and stood. 

“...That’s what she had?” He asked in a tone far more gentle than the one he had been using just minutes before. 

Carol just nodded.

Tyreese turned his head slowly to look back down at Karen’s body. “I tried to bring her flowers…” He sounded broken. So Carol took his hand and led him away from the scene without a word.  
They had to clean themselves off. 

*******

Glenn found Rick sitting against the horse-stable with his knees drawn up to his chest and his arms folded atop them. He was facing the weaker part of the fence they had only recently reinforced. Even still, the dead were converging on that spot. Luckily the sound of their snarling couldn’t reach the pair that deep in the field.

Glenn didn’t say a word, just sat down next to him and started tearing at the grass. Eventually, it was Rick that spoke.

“Just reminded me of Lori.” He didn’t turn his head, and Glenn had the small suspicion that he didn’t care who was with him. “Who would do something like that?”

It took Glenn a moment to realize he was talking about the burned bodies. “Any one of us,” He answered, “If we were scared enough.”

Rick hesitated, then nodded slowly. “I know why they did it. Wanted to stop the illness from spreading.”

“Probably thought it was a means to an end.” He shook his head, “I mean, if it was between one of us and someone, anyone, else, I’d choose us every time.” He sighed and leaned his head back against the pen. “Shit’s fucked, Rick. But we won’t force you back into anything.” 

Rick stayed silent until Glenn got up and headed back to the prison to burn the dead. 

*******

Beth looked up from where she was sitting on the disinfected floor of the communal waiting room. There was a shadow in front of the warped glass of the office door, just hovering. She kept her eyes on the unknown person and reached for one of the blades strapped to her thighs. She had only been in quarantine with Judith for a few hours, but she knew that a lot could happen in that time. 

The dark outline raised a hand, hesitated, then rapped their knuckles on the glass. “Beth,” Daryl called softly, “it’s me. Something happened.”

Beth relaxed and sheathed her knife. “Yeah, one moment.” She scooped up Judith and handed her the teething ring she liked so much to keep her from fussing before crossing towards the office door. “Daryl? What’s going on? Have we found a cure?” She had to swallow before she asked, “Is someone else sick?” 

The door shook lightly as Daryl leaned his back against it and slid down to sit. “Faye. She went into A-Block about an hour ago. We already got a run in process.” He cleared his throat and bit at his thumb before instinctually pulling it away. Usually, Faye would smack it away from his mouth by then, saying something about not wanting to lose him to an infected hangnail. “She’ll be fine.”

Beth pressed her lips together and leaned her shoulder against the doorframe. She had already lost her real mother when they escaped the farm. Now it felt like she was losing her new family all over again. The same sense of helplessness washed over, but she pulled herself out of the waves with a sharp intake of breath. It wouldn’t do any good to go back into that state when her family needed her to be strong.

“She will,” Beth said with more determination and assuredness than she felt. “She’s a tough bitch. She’ll get through it.”

Daryl huffed out a laugh without smiling. “We’ll get medicine. I just wanted you to know.” He bit at the side of his tongue. Beth was quiet, and he heard Judith sucking on her toy through the door. She made a short whining sound and the noise set something off inside him. 

He couldn’t lose his family. Not anymore.

He sniffed loudly and pressed the heels of his palms against his eyes as he felt them start to well up. 

“Daryl? Are you okay?” Beth leaned closer to the wood to hear. She heard a quick sniff and a sigh before the door shook as he stood up. 

“Yeah,” he answered, voice thick, “Jus’ sick of losing people.” 

Beth paused before answering, “Even the people we lose we find us again.” 

His footsteps hesitated before walking back up the hallway. He had a run to make. 

*******

Faye became the first patient being treated in A-Block, and didn’t wake up for a while. Hershel and Doctor S both agreed that she needed rest, and that was all she was doing. Daryl still didn’t like it. 

Hershel had explained how the Doctor had saved her. Something about increasing the pressure in her esophagus until it was forced to contract all at once and push all the blockage out of her airways. He said it was just good timing, as they had only discussed the possibilities of that method if it were done in the middle of an attack. Likely they wouldn’t be able to do it again. They needed medicine. 

Merle was quick to volunteer for the run to find the drugs needed. For all the arguing they did, Faye was family now, and he wouldn’t let his little brother go out there alone. Michonne just showed up to their strategy meeting, no questions asked. She was in.

It took only an hour before they were packing up to go. 

Merle gathered everyone around and addressed them as professionally as he knew how. “Listen up, fuckers.” Michonne rolled her eyes. “We’ve got an eighty-mile road trip ahead of us full of walkers and possible hostiles. We ain’t comin’ back until we find whatever the hell kinda drugs the good doctor needs. I got me a woman waiting up on me, and my baby brother’s got a woman he’s doing this for. I don’t care who makes it back if we get those damn drugs, you understand?” A few reluctant nods traveled around the group. “Good. Let’s move out!” 

As they were climbing into the van they decided to take, Bob stopped Michonne. She turned and glanced him up and down, taking in his tool belt and heavy coat. “Going somewhere?” She asked with a slight twitch of her brow. 

He nodded and glanced between her and the open car door behind her. He looked jumpy enough to try and dodge past her and enter if given the chance. “Yeah. With you, if you’ll have me.”

She was immediately shaking her head. “No, Bob, I know what you’re working on and we can’t afford to mess anything up.”

“Then I won’t mess up!” He sighed like he was frustrated. “Look, I gotta do something. If I don’t I’ll just fall back into that headspace and-- and I can’t do that again. It was better with Sasha but she just...she just went into A-Block.”

Michonne stared past him at the taller section of the building with the dark letter ‘A’ stamped on the side. So much suffering was housed in that one section of the building. It was a good thing they were going on this run so early, lest it grow any more. 

“...No, Bob.” She stared him down. “I’m sorry, but I have family in there. I can’t take that chance. If you really want to help, get a mask, some gloves, and go help the people in there stay alive long enough for us to get back.”

He let his mouth fall open for only a moment before his eyes cast downwards and he nodded reluctantly. Michonne turned and climbed into the car to leave him to walk back towards the prison for his new assignment.  
The whole prison was on lockdown, waiting to fade to black. Michonne could only hope that they would make it in time. 


	27. Tick Tock

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYsU-_JCeMM

Glenn barely made it back to him and Maggie’s cell before the churning in his head forced him to sit down. He all but collapsed on the corner of his bed and held his head in his hands gently. He had foolishly thought he could fight it, overcome this illness somehow, but there was no denying it now. He was sick.

He could hear people being herded from their blocks towards A-Block, but the voices sounded muffled. It was like there was cotton in his ears and behind his eyes, pushing and swelling everything up. He desperately wanted to lay down right there, but he knew that he wouldn’t get back up if he did. So, he pulled himself up with a grip on the shelf and kept his head down while he hobbled towards the doorway. 

“Glenn?” Maggie’s voice penetrated the fog in his mind. Instinct told him to rush towards her, towards safety, as fast as he could. She was warmth and happiness and home, but he would only hurt her if he did. 

A sudden lump in his throat made itself known when he rasped out, “No, Maggie… Stay back, I… I have it.” He coughed into his elbow to clear his throat, and avert his eyes from his wife’s undoubtedly heartbreaking expression.

Maggie pressed her lips together and leaned back out of the cell to call, “Bob! We have one more!” Her voice was steady, but the white-knuckle grip she had on the doorframe gave away her stress.

She leaned back against the wall beside the cell door and watched as Bob, armed with yellow rubber gloves and a flu-mask, bustled into the cell to help Glenn stagger out. She could only watch while her husband was led away. No touching, no hugging, no kiss for what was almost certainly goodbye. 

Briefly, she wondered if it would have been better if she’d gone on the run with Daryl. 

Carol passed by her with a bandana around her face, and stopped. She looked at Maggie, then to the empty cell behind her. With hard eyes, she pulled a bandana from her back pocket and passed it to Maggie. 

“Cover up,” She instructed, “You don’t want to catch this.”

With numb fingers, Maggie complied.

*******

Michonne was driving. She was the only one emotionally qualified at the moment. Merle was on Daryl duty, Daryl was containing his antsiness in the backseat with his brother tapping his fingers on the door of the car, Tyreese was in the passenger seat leaning his forehead against the window and watching the world zip by. They still had twelve miles to go, and the sun was dipping under the trees. She knew stopping wouldn’t be seen as an option to at least half of the group, so she was just trying to get them as close as possible before darkness prevented them from moving any further. 

“Hey, Mich,” Merle asked, “see what kind of tunes we have in the player.”

She didn’t protest and turned on the sound. Rather than a CD, the radio crackled to life and static filled the car. Her fingertip was millimeters away from changing the setting, but then a voice crackled out. 

“ _\-- a sanctuary for--...Terminus. We--...are…_ ”

Tyreese blinked slowly and sat up to stare intently at the box. “What the hell?” He glanced back to the other two passengers. “That’s not us, is it?”

Daryl shook his head. “We ain’t got a radio station. Where is this comin’ from?” 

Tyreese turned back to face front and his eyes shot wide open. “ **WATCH OUT!** ” He gripped the steering wheel and yanked it aside, in time to avoid the wall of writhing bodies gathering in the intersection ahead. 

“Aw, fuck…” Merle cursed and leaned back in his seat. “ _Back up!_ ”

Michonne already had a grip on the gear shift and pushed it to reverse. They hit a few bumps as they ran over a few walkers, but made it over them and backed up onto the road again. “I need a route! What’s my detour?!” Michonne demanded as she whipped the rear of the car around and raced back the way they’d come. 

Tyreese scrambled for the map in the glove box and spread it on his lap. “Okay! Uhh….we just passed Robson Avenue so… Left here!” He pointed and Michonne jerked the wheel aside. Merle and Daryl were jerked to the side of the car, and Daryl was squished between the door and his brother. 

Michonne was able to reduce her speed while she continued along the road. The brothers straightened themselves out and shot glares at each other while the static on the radio dwindled down to pops and hisses. The voice was out of range by now. 

“Okay, now where?” Michonne asked urgently. The sun was still setting and she wasn’t going to stop so close to a herd as big as the one they’d just seen. 

“Uhmm…” Tyreese lifted the map and turned it sideways. “If we avoid the highways, we could take a back road that goes through a small town.”

“Nah, we wanna avoid those,” Daryl said, leaning forward. “This is a college town, so there’d be a shit ton of apartments.”

Merle leaned up to see as well, “Or we could cut a good four miles off if we get on a service road for three minutes.”

“We ain’t taking a highway. Too dangerous.”

“If we go through town we’ll have to pass between buildings. That’s limited visibility!”

“But it may be safer than a service road.”

“At least we’d be able to see if something was comin’ at us!”

“We better decide soon, we got people dying back home!”

Michonne rolled her eyes and tightened her hands around the steering wheel. Something caught her eye through the trees, and she perked up. 

“Look, if we’re going for time--” Merle was cut off when Michonne turned down a gravel road that was pressed up on trees from all sides. 

“Just trust me.” She said before anyone could even protest. Her reasons why were revealed when she pulled up to a fenced area of an inactive water irrigation area. “This is part of the science building’s water supply. Saw a sign back there.” The area was blessedly clear of walkers, so Merle got out and opened the gate so they could park as close to the building as possible.

“C’mon.” Daryl cut the lock on the back door. “We’re on a tight schedule.” 

*******

Glenn still felt dizzy as Dr. S guided him to one of the cells on the upper levels. The stairs had him winded and wanting nothing more than to collapse. Luckily, his bed was in sight.  
“Mrs. Dixon, you’ve got a roommate.” Dr. S spoke to the curled up form on the bed. “Yell if either of you needs my help, okay?”

Glenn grunted his affirmative and sat down on his bed with a huff. He coughed into his hand and wiped the splatter of blood on the already stained mattress. 

Faye turned her head and met his eyes. “Welcome to the party…” She wheezed and coughed into her elbow. Her eyes were red where they should be white, and her skin was pale, making her freckles stand out even more. Glenn shuddered to think that he would most likely look just as drained if he didn’t already. Faye had always been full of life, and to see her so weak made everything seem so much more real.

The illness would only take from here on out.

“Want some good news?” Faye croaked.

Glenn scoffed, “That exists?” God, his voice was like sandpaper on a chalkboard.

Faye shot him a tight smile with droopy eyes. She slurred in between huffing breaths. “I asked Carol...to bring me some chocolate.” 

Glenn blinked at her. Eventually, he shook his head slowly and laid down. “I need a nap. You’d better share when you get that candy.” He curled away from her and coughed a bit before falling into deep and grinding breaths.  
Faye dropped the fake smile and took on a sadder, more longing expression. She was hoping against all odds that no one she cared about would follow her into A Block. They weren’t fooling anyone with this “recovery” shit. Once they entered, their fate was sealed. Dr. S was sick too, though he was trying to keep going for the sake of the children that were brought in. 

It was a shit situation.

Faye turned her head back up towards the ceiling and listened to the rhythmic sounds of Glenn’s breaths. Dr. S had told her that because she had survived the first attack, most of the buildup had been rejected and would probably give her body a chance to defeat the virus. All they could do was wait and pray, he’d said. She didn’t bother trying to tell him she was an atheist, although she’d come pretty damn close to vowing into religion when she’d been coughing up her lungs behind the prison earlier that day. 

Footsteps sounded outside her cell, and a shadow stopped in the doorway. She heard Bob’s soft voice speaking, “It looks like Glenn is asleep right now. But I can tuck you in if you’d like?”

She rolled over and blinked to try and make out faces. Lizzie’s blank eyes met hers and kept staring, even as she talked to Bob. “Who else came in…?”

Bob sighed behind his mask. “The rest of D is in here, by now. All the elderly and kids.” He put a hand on Lizzie’s shoulder. “Carol told Lizzie that Glenn was great at tucking people into bed, and wanted him to help her out.”

“That so?” Faye coughed into her elbow before blinking her eyes back into focus and looking back to Lizzie. She still hadn’t stopped staring blankly. “Would you...like me to? I bet I could do it better than Glenn…” Crap, was she already breathless just from sitting up and talking? She really should learn to rest when her body said to.

Lizzie nodded jerkily and glanced back up at Bob. 

“You sure, Mrs. Dixon?” He sounded skeptical, “you’re probably feeling pretty weak, right?” 

She waved off his concerns and stood. “I’ll be fine. And Carol would kill me is Lizzie was uncomfortable.” She tried to smile but with her brows drawn together against her headache, it probably looked more like a deep wince. 

All the same, Bob let Faye guide Lizzie down the row to a cell with one of the healthier Woodbury residents as a roommate. “This is Caroline, Lizzie. She’ll watch over you too, okay?” 

Caroline looked up from where she was unlacing her boots and shot a real smile her way. “I’d love to. Nice to meet you, Lizzie.”

“Nice to meet you,” Lizzie spoke like they were equals, a complete leap from how most of the other kids acted towards adults. 

Faye guided her into the free bed and pulled the blanket off the foot. “Go ahead and get settled, Lizzie.” The girl obeyed and she finished spreading the blanket over her body before tucking her in snugly. 

Lizzie blinked slowly up at her. “Your eyes look dead…” She whispered softly.

Before Faye could apologize for scaring her, she rolled over and sighed out, “They look nice.”

A glance over at Caroline showed that she must not have heard. Faye blamed the sudden chill in her blood and Lizzie’s declaration on the flu and staggered from the cell as fast as her heavy body could carry her. 

_Daryl, you’d better hurry,_ she thought, _This flu is taking everything from us._

*******

“Hurry!” Michonne hissed where she was keeping watch on the laboratory’s doorway.

“We’re goin’!” Merle snapped back and kept layering the IV bags they’d found. He had to be careful or they’d pop. “How are we on pills, gentlemen?”

“Got a bag full of ‘em.” Daryl swung his backpack over his shoulder and snapped at Tyreese, “C’mon! What the hell’re you doing?!”

Tyreese was pushing behind the pills and feeling along the back counters. “There’s equipment back here. Thought the doctors could use it.” His eye ticked in annoyance at Daryl’s tone. 

“Was it on the list?” He hissed back.

“No, but--”

“Then we don’t need it! Let’s go!” He pushed past Michonne before he could get an answer. Tyreese growled lowly but followed with a bag half-full. 

Merle scowled and rushed after his brother while Michonne took up the rear behind Tyreese. They had a route planned to get to the closest fire-exit, which was supposed to let out into a courtyard that was only a short run to their car. Their plan was scrapped when a small herd was waiting for them on the first floor. 

“Shit!” Daryl raised his bow, even as the walkers outnumbered them two-to-one. He fired into one eye and bent to reload, but Michonne yanked him back.

“This way!” She called and sprinted back down the hall. The walkers gave slow chase and had them blocked off from the way they’d come in no time. One of the double doors ahead of them flung open and a new crowd of dead eyes swerved towards them. Blood crusted around the dead’s eyes and mouth, telling of their fate. 

Tyreese froze up as Karen’s face flashed through his mind. This was how she would have died. She may have had a chance of getting this medicine if she wasn’t killed. The walker was getting close, it’s bloody mouth stretching open to clamp around his arm--

Michonne’s sword slashed clear through the walker’s head, and the body dropped. “Focus, Ty!” She snapped before rejoining the fray. Tyreese shook his head and drew his hammer back.

“Fucking hell!” Merle scanned the walls and signs for something, anything, that would help them, and found salvation in a stairwell. “Follow me!” He charged for the stairs and only hesitated long enough to see that he was being followed. 

The stairway let out next to a large lecture hall, also (you guessed it, kids) filled with walkers. Driven by this new spur of energy, they charged down the opposite hallway towards a smaller classroom. Tyreese was the last one in and slammed the door closed behind them. 

The only problem with that was that the door didn’t lock, and the handle was one of those bars that someone would have to push in to enter. This made it easier for the dead to push their way towards their next meal, and harder for Tyreese to hold the door closed. 

“Where’s the exit?!” Daryl roared while he stalked through the room like a caged animal. 

The sound of glass shattering drew the men’s gazes to Michonne, who had thrown a chair through a nearby window. “It’s right here,” She waved the Dixon brothers towards the new escape. “Ty, get ready!”

Tyreese could only grunt from his strained position. When he saw that his other three teammates were safe on the overhang high above the concrete courtyard below, he braced himself and ran for it. He could swear that cold, dead hands grasped at the loose straps on his backpack, the cuffs of his pants, his belt loops, anything that would hold him back and turn him into one of them. 

But he made it, with only a few cuts on his hands and knees to show. By the time he had made it onto the overhang, Daryl was already struggling his way down to the yard, and Merle was looking like he was about to bust a blood vessel. Michonne just looked tired under her scowl. 

“Daryl!” Merle snapped in a hushed voice, “If you think we’re gettin’ around this whole-ass building without bumpin’ into some uglies, you’re one brain cell short of the whole prison!” 

Tyreese raised an eyebrow at Michonne, a silent question regarding the meaning behind his words. She just sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. By now, the crowd of walkers were all trying to reach out the window at once, making for a hell of a headache for the woman.

“We ain’t got all day!” Daryl snapped back up at Merle as he shimmied down the column of the shade. “Faye could be dyin’! The whole damn prison could be in A, for all we know!” He shrugged his bag back on and continued on with long strides. 

“God, fuck…” Merle groaned and slid down the same way Daryl had. “You still gotta watch your back! You think those meds are gonna be of any use if yer dead?!”

“Not if they don’t get back.” Daryl was pulled back by the shoulder and held at arm's length.

“Yer wife would beat your ass for talking like that!” His grip softened and he sighed. A quick glance over his shoulder assured him that Tyreese and Michonne were following them, and he gave his full attention to Daryl. “How you think I’ll be able to tell Faye that you didn’t make it back, huh? Or Rick? Or any one of your family? Think of that, while you watch your goddamn step, baby brother.” 

With that, Merle released him and took charge once again. He waved Michonne and Tyreese over to them and pointed out a narrow alleyway to cut through before other visitors followed the sound of their escape.  
Daryl hesitated. When he was with his adopted family, he felt at home. He had forgotten what it was like to be afraid for their next breath. To feel that cold, clawed hand around his heart, threatening to crush everything he had. Now, it as back in the form of rushed decisions, snapping comments, and recklessness. 

Briefly, he entertained the idea of what would happen if he didn’t return. Rick would be the first to find out. He didn’t want to overestimate his influence, but their ex-leader would probably go into a quiet, silent state. Carl would break a little more, and probably stop smiling. Beth would harden further, but disguise it with watery smiles and dull laughter. Maggie and Glenn would find solace in each other, but it would weigh on them forever. Carol would distract herself with caring for Merle. He knew that his brother would try and hide it, but it would cut into him deeper than anything they’d faced so far. Michonne would just add him to her bag of traumas. 

They wouldn’t tell Faye. Not at first. They would get her the medicine and make sure she was being cared for before telling her. Merle would see it as his duty and would stay with her. She wouldn’t get better, he knew. They were both stubborn jackasses that were made for each other, and would shut down without the other. Like a toy without a battery. She would stay in that cell and refuse visitors, food, water, medicine. She would let herself waste away until the last minute, then make sure she wouldn’t come back. 

And then she’d kick Daryl’s ass in the afterlife. 

With a new type of determination in his posture, he took off after the group. He would not fail them.

*******

Faye couldn’t sleep. She had been laying on her back, ignoring her desire to cough for a few hours now. Glenn had gone to sleep before she had laid down, after a coughing fit worthy of the history books. Now she was just...thinking.

How would they be remembered? Would anyone’s name go down in history? Would this moment be taught in schools after the dead stayed dead once again? Or would they all be wiped out before they got the chance? Too many questions, so little breaths left until they wouldn’t matter anymore. 

She probably wouldn’t be remembered by name. Even if they tried identifying all the bodies when this was all over (which they wouldn’t, whoever these they people were) there were no records on her from this country. She would just be another corpse on the burn pile. Rick, however, she was sure would go down in history. He had done too much, saved too many, not to. Daryl too. 

How was her husband doing, she wondered. She knew about the run before it was even formed, and knew Daryl would want to go. He was stubborn like that. He’d better come back soon.  
She was just about to try and focus more on the post-apocalypse and a world free of the dead, when something made her pause. She sat up slowly. Something was wrong. It was too quiet all of a sudden, even with the coughs and retching echoing from the cell block. 

Glenn had stopped breathing.

“Shit…!” She cursed and threw the blanket off her legs. “DOCTOR!!” She yelled as loud as she could, which probably wasn’t enough. She was too weak, too raspy, too sore-- “ _DOCTOR!!_ ”

She heard a familiar step, then click heading up the stairs as quick as they could, and turned her attention back to Glenn. She turned him on his back and pressed down on his chest. His eyes were still closed, but his nose was bleeding.

Hershel stumbled into the doorway and took one look at his son-in-law, then looked back to one end of the hall with wide eyes. Lizzie was screaming in her room, and rough groans had joined the coughing in the block. She and Hershel met eyes before Faye was on her feet and taking the hunting knife he held out to her as she staggered past him towards the new threat. Glenn was in Hershel's hands now.

The world was spinning, and she was switching between seeing blurry and in double, but she was up and had a weapon. She gripped the doorframe of Lizzie’s room, ready to attack, but only found Caroline laying in her bed. Lizzie wasn’t here.

Hands grabbed her shoulders and snarling filled her world. She spun sharply to dislodge the grip and flung her free arm out. She knocked the walker aside and steadied herself before focusing on the fight in front of her. Mrs. Princeley’s yellowed eyes and bloodstained face stared back at her before her yellow teeth revealed themselves and aimed for Faye’s throat. 

Faye wasn’t a psychopath, but she couldn’t say for certain that she didn’t take some enjoyment in putting the old bat to rest. Someone was yelling in the distance, or close by. Everything was still foggy.  
She held Evangeline Princely back by the neck before burying the blade in her temple, dimming her eyes permanently. She pulled back and let the corpse crumble to the floor before she started to tune back into reality. Lizzie was shouting at her, tears streaming down her face as she jabbed a finger at Mrs. Princely. 

“--killed her!! She was breathing and you killed her!” Her voice cracked and she knelt at the woman’s side to pull her head into her lap and sob. “Murderer…!” She hissed up at Faye before turning full attention to the old woman.  
Weird, Faye thought as she staggered back towards Glenn and Hershel, Lizzie had never cared for Mrs. Princely before. 

A gunshot went off in the lower levels once, then twice. Faye leaned against the railing to peer over the edge into the block and see if she could help. Sasha seemed to have it handled though, as she shot the last walker in the head and then leaned against her shotgun to cough. Faye left her to work in a haze. The longer she stood up, to closer she felt to collapsing. 

When she staggered back into her cell, she was shocked to see not Hershel, but Maggie kneeling next to Glenn and pressing onto his chest rhythmically. She blinked in the doorway, briefly entertaining the idea of hallucinating before joining her best friend on the floor.

“Faye, Daddy’s gonna bring in a tube and mask to help clear his lungs. Keep him breathing while I do it?” She huffed between compressions. 

Faye nodded dumbly, feeling distant from the situation. Only seconds later, Hershel entered the cell with the device and shoved it at Maggie while he began instructing her on what to do. Faye jumped on her job faster than her head could process. She couldn’t watch Glenn be brought back. If it didn’t work, she would be the one the put him down. She just knew it. Instead, she tried to process everything going on.

Mrs. Princely was dead. Dr. S was dead too if he wasn’t here helping. Lizzie was deranged because of the flu. Glenn was dying. Sasha was fighting. Hershel was working. Maggie was hoping. What was she doing?

Glenn jerked under her and began to hack up as much discharge as he could. They could hear the pain in his actions, and Maggie pulled him to her chest and rubbed circles on his back while he came back to life. Hershel sighed in relief and leaned back before another gunshot echoed in the cell block. He looked up, unsurprised, and struggled to his feet to investigate. 

The cell fell quiet once again save for the rasping breaths of trapped walkers and those soon to be.

Faye’s swimming gaze fell to the handgun on Maggie’s belt. 

With shaking and bloody fingers, she grasped the handle and tucked it away in her own belt.


	28. All Hell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *stops screaming to take a breath*
> 
> Okay, everybody things are getting busy in my life but we're almost done! Only like, ten more chapters so hang in there, babes! From here out, everything will be off script and I personally think a lot more fun. Bad news: I don't have a clear update schedule and probably never will (New Years resolution as to stop lying to myself). But I will certainly try my best! 
> 
> In other news, I have chosen the next story I will be writing...
> 
> SUPERNATURAL (before it got predictable) !!!
> 
> But even then, I won't even post that story until I have AT LEAST ten chapters done. So I'll be on radio silence for a while. But if you're excited for my next work, you can subscribe to me and get email notifications! 
> 
> But yeah, I think that's about it. See you later, alligators! Lots of love!

After things had calmed down marginally in cell block A, Glenn and Faye were left to rest. Maggie was reluctant to leave, and after explaining that she had run into the block after hearing Lizzie’s screaming, was even more stubborn. Eventually, the other members of the quarantine demanded help, if only to clear out the bodies. 

Maggie still hadn’t noticed that one of her guns had gone missing.

Faye was left running her fingertips over the smooth metal, knowing it would be the last thing she would feel. Glenn was too weak to escape her, should she turn. Maggie didn’t deserve the burden of killing her. She had to do it herself while she still had her mind and the ability to do so. 

So why was she waiting? 

She wanted to see Daryl again. They didn’t get to say goodbye last time, and she wouldn’t let fate cheat her out of that again. It wasn’t fair to either of them.

Glenn stirred across from her, but she didn’t move to hide the weapon. The silence stretched on until Glenn spoke quietly.

“Before you go, can you off me too?”

Faye halted her movements but kept her head down. She thought carefully about what that would require of her. Of Maggie’s face when she found them. Of how everyone would react. Something in her must’ve snapped, and she felt herself tearing up. 

She took a breath in and finally looked up at Glenn. He was looking back, unsurprised at her tears. His eyes matched hers; red and soft, full of exhaustion and understanding. Wordlessly, he opened his arms and invited her to his embrace.

Faye fell into his arms and pressed her forehead against his sternum as dizziness threatened to drag her to the floor. Glenn was weak but held onto her shoulders for dear life as he slowly guided them down to the bed. His tears fell silently, while hers were ripped from her violently, and soaked his shirt in seconds. 

Faye let herself bawl for everything and anything that was going wrong. Her husband was gone, and she was helpless to help him in her condition. She was flickering out like a dying bulb, and she knew her chances of surviving this were dwindling like water in a desert. She didn’t want to die; not like this. Not so slowly and painfully. Here, she had time to think about death, and that terrified her more than anything she’d faced. She had only felt this type of vulnerability twice in her life; once when she was bleeding in a phone booth after being cornered by the people she once called family, and another briefly after escaping Woodbury with a new blanket of scars across her back. 

Glenn cried because he was afraid of losing anyone else. His wife was in danger while she was around the contaminated, but he couldn’t possibly be mad at her. He would do the same thing, after all. Faye needed a reminder of her importance. If Glenn was gone, she would miss him as much as anyone else would, but he was right in assuming that she wasn’t thinking of her family when she decided offing herself was the best thing for them. 

She just needed a reminder. And everyone needed a good cry every once in a while. 

Their bodies fell heavy as they were dragged into a restless sleep, faces streaked with bloody tears. 

*******

Carol’s jaw was tight while she watched Rick drive away from her. The van had enough supplies to last her a few nights, and enough gas to get her far away from the prison, where Rick wanted her. 

She was only doing what she thought was best. 

Before she could close the hatchback of the silver van, her eye caught a shiny gold wrapper tucked in a paper bag. 

She pulled the chocolate bar from her supplies and tossed it to the pavement. Her boot crushed the melted and cooled bar as she stepped over it. 

She wouldn’t see her again, and there was no use for sweets where she was going. 

Wherever that was. 

*******

Daryl was out of the stolen truck before the vehicle could stop completely. Rick was waiting for them in his garden but sprinted down the field to meet them. “Hershel and Bob are in A-Block,” He announced, “As far as I know they ain’t sick, just taking care of folks. Knock on the back door and leave the supplies for ‘em. Hurry!” Daryl, Michonne, and Tyreese took off to help, leaving Merle and Rick to close the gate and pull the car back up. 

When the gate was closed, Merle turned to run back up the path to do what he could with the medicine, when Rick stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. “Merle, we gotta talk a second.” 

That gave the Army vet pause. Rick had never expressed much interest in having a civil discussion with him, even after he had proved himself to the prison group time and time again. Merle could hardly blame him though. If someone had allied themselves with a psychopath and his armed militia he would have trouble trusting them too. For now, though, he proceeded with caution in any interaction with him. He didn’t want to set him off.

“Yeah, what’s up, Sherriff?” He shoved his hand in his pocket and leaned back on his heels.

Rick took a deep breath before meeting his eyes. “Carol’s gone.”

All movement stopped in Merle. His muscles stiffened and air refused to enter his lungs. Gone? What did that mean? Did the disease take her? Or one of the infected had died suddenly and torn her apart, or a run went wrong or--

“She killed Karen and David,” Rick continued, “I left her with a van full of supplies and fuel. She’s a survivor. She can take care of herself, but she can’t be in the walls anymore.” He sighed heavily while Merle processed. “I know you two had gotten close. You gonna be okay?”

Merle blinked at him slowly. “She ain’t dead?”

“I don’t know. I dropped her in a neighborhood this morning.”

“You left her? Out there?” He pointed beyond the gates, voice low, “Without backup or a weapon?”

Rick winced when he heard the dark tone overtake his voice. “She has a knife…” He knew it was a weak offer of peace, and he heard it in his own voice.

Merle clenched his jaw and put his hands on his hips while he took deep breaths. He was looking at the ground when he spoke, “She can’t have killed them, Rick. Did she tell you she did?” 

He nodded.

“Well, she didn’t. We slept in yesterday. Ain’t no way she did because she was with me up until you an’ her ran off to see what Ty was yelling about. Those bodies were still smokin’ when I buried ‘em.” 

Rick narrowed his eyes. “Would you put your word on that? Could you swear that you knew where she was from yesterday evening to just before you left?”

Merle shifted on his feet, his posture becoming unsure. “...Well, we didn’t follow each other to the bathroom or nothin’. But four minutes of unsupervised time don’t make someone a murderer!” 

“I’m looking after more than just her now, Merle. I may have stepped down from leading but that doesn’t mean I stopped caring.” Rick crossed his arms and met Merle’s storming eyes. “She made herself into a threat. She told me it was her and took responsibility.”

Merle shook his head slowly and backed up towards the building. “Fine. But don’t get upset when I can’t snap myself out of an episode because she ain’t here to bring me back down.” He knew it was a mistake to reveal that about himself, but he had never been this angry at the sheriff. Even when he handcuffed him to a roof. 

It was strange to feel this strongly for someone else. Everything was new but he still wanted to protect her. He vowed to leave right away and find her. As of that moment, Carol was his best friend. She took no shit and understood him. He knew she was a good person because a bad person wouldn’t hold him to their chest after he wandered into their room when a nightmare haunted his thoughts. She wasn’t evil, and she didn’t deserve to be abandoned. 

He was going to find her.

********

When Faye came to, she was lying on her back, in her own bed, with an IV in her arm. Her head felt full of water, and every movement was a dull ache, but she was still better than she’d felt in days. 

With a low groan, she summoned all of her strength to turn onto her side and face the inside of the cell. Something was digging into her side, and she dully remembered Maggie’s gun but didn’t move to fix the discomfort. She probably didn’t have the energy anyway. Glenn was resting in a similar state, with Maggie brushing back his hair and smiling down at him. She glanced over at Faye when she heard the noise and smiled wider; less loving and more welcoming.

“You’re awake,” She sounded relieved and stood from petting Glenn’s hair. Faye couldn’t do more than lift one arm feebly for her to take. Maggie lifted her limp hand to her chest, right over her heart. Her eyes were wet when she spoke. “When we came in with the medicine I saw you with Glenn and…” She took a shuddering breath and continued, softer, “I thought you were both gone for good.” 

Faye blinked slowly with a small wrinkle between her brows. She curled the hand on Maggie’s sternum into a fist and did her best to smile in a reassuring way. “I could never,” She rasped with a voice like gravel. “I’m magic, remember?” 

A wet laugh escaped the healthy woman and she looked down, her short hair falling like a curtain over her face. “That’s right. I almost forgot you were really a fairy.” 

They sat in comfortable silence for a few moments, the only sound coming from Glenn’s abused lungs. Faye spoke up quietly, “Is Daryl…?”

“He’s fine. We didn’t lose anyone.”

Faye sighed in relief and turned up to look at the ceiling. “That’s good. Things are getting better.”

Maggie looked up from studying her shoes and smiled, eyes still wet but brighter than they’d been in days. Her hands tightened around Faye’s. “Yeah,” She said, “finally, they are.” 

Their eyes met and one small spark of hope ignited between them. Maggie opened her mouth to continue but was cut off by the sound of a distant explosion.

The whole block vibrated and rumbled while bits of concrete chipped away and rained down on them. Glenn sat up, expression of panic matching the two women.

“What was that?”

*******

“See, Judith,” Beth pointed to the small text of the Russian Translator book knowing full well that Judith’s vision wasn’t near good enough to actually see the script, let alone understand it. But if she didn’t talk to anyone she’d go crazy in the safe room. “This character sounds like the English C-H sound, but it looks like an X. Let’s try it out, okay?” 

She tested the foreign letter on her tongue until it sounded similar to what Faye said when she was cursing quietly. She knew a lot of words and how they should sound by now, but speaking them was another matter. It felt like there was a rubber band around her tongue whenever she tried to sound like Faye spoke her native language. She just needed to practice. 

The prison shook violently and she gasped and clutched Judith to her chest as the tremors subsided. When the room was silent once again, she didn’t waste a moment. A disease wouldn’t matter if she and Judith were buried. 

Judith whined at the sudden movement but didn’t start crying when Beth loaded her into her carrier. When she was strapped in, Beth slung her diaper bag over her shoulders and picked up her gun with one hand while the other carried the baby out of the quarantine room and out towards safety.

*******

Merle rushed towards the crowd gathering at the fence, full pack bouncing against his back. “What’s goin’ on?” He asked Daryl, who was staring past Rick through the fences. He followed his gaze and saw what had him so pale.

The Governor stood on the hood of one of many cars lined up facing the prison, a tank next to him and Michonne and Hershel kneeling at his feet. The barrel of the military weapon was still smoking, answering the question of what caused the explosion that left one of the closer watchtowers smoldering. 

“Oh, fuck.”

*******

“Faye…” Daryl muttered as the assault began before telling his brother.“Merle! Get all of A block and the kids onto the bus! We’ll hold ‘em back!”

His brother nodded and grabbed a rifle from the fence before taking off towards the building. Meanwhile, Daryl turned towards the line up of vehicles crashing their way through the fences they’d worked so hard to keep up. It was all crashing down in a matter of seconds. 

There was no time to worry about Rick. Not when he had Carl and Beth next to him, firing off shots while tears streamed down their faces. As much as he wanted to rush to Faye and drag her away from what was approaching, he had to stand his ground. 

He couldn’t abandon his home.

*******

Faye stumbled out of her and Glenn’s cell, gun clenched in a white-knuckled grip. Her arm was still bleeding from when she’d taken out her IV, but she could hardly pay that any mind now. A second explosion had rocked the prison, and Maggie was out seeing what was happening. So that left it up to her, Glenn, and Sasha to get everyone out and to the bus. 

“Everyone out!” She yelled as loud as she could. This brought on a brief bout of coughing, but her message seemed to have gotten across. Glenn joined her in the doorway, looking equally haggard but just as determined. “Go get the riot gear. Send anyone you see towards the bus. I’ll meet you there soon.” 

He nodded but clasped her shoulder before they could part ways. “Be careful. We don’t know what’s out there.” 

Faye just smiled and began backing towards the exit. “Since when am I not careful?” Before Glenn could bring one of the hundreds of examples to light, she turned fully and rushed for the door.

“Faye!” Sasha called her before she could leave the block with the flood of people exiting already. “I’m going high for a bird’s eye view! I’ll cover you!” Faye waved back in response before ducking out into the first glare of sunlight she’d seen in days. 

She blinked against the bright rays before her watering eyes adjusted enough to see the pure chaos in front of her. Civilians were rushing away from the fight while fighters were rushing towards it. Faye remained on the edge of the rush, the only line of defense against what she knew was coming around the corner of the yard at any moment. 

Sure enough, enemy fighters stormed around the corner, two at first that were quickly shot down by Faye. She may still be sick but they weren’t even wearing armor.The next three were shot back around the corner by unseen firing. Sasha must have gotten to a good position. 

A loud bang shook the earth and everyone’s eardrums before the cell block directly next to Faye exploded and rubble crashed to the ground. It seemed like she was the only one in any real danger, though, as the rest of A-Block were loading onto the bus. Faye meanwhile was left to run towards the battle to avoid being crushed or harmed by the falling debris.

In a matter of seconds, she was coated head to toe in dust and coughing to keep it out of her lungs. The whole area was blanketed in a thick layer of dust, limiting visibility drastically. The battle sounded muffled, and a sharp ringing was echoing in Faye’s head. Before she could welcome her tendinitis back to her shattered eardrums, one noise cut through the fog and made her heart clench in fear.

Judith.

*******

Daryl was frantic. Every face he saw was unfriendly or dead. The carnage was getting worse, and walkers were flooding to the source. The bus had driven away only a few seconds ago, but he knew, he just _knew_ that Faye wasn’t on it. He had lost Carl already when he’d run off to help his dad. He didn’t even know Rick’s condition. 

Merle hadn’t come back either, and all he could hope is that they’d meet at the rendezvous point. He felt a tugging at his sleeve and looked behind him to lock eyes with Beth. Tear tracks carved into the dust along her cheeks and her expression was pleading. 

“Daryl, please,” She begged, “We have to go. It’s not safe anymore.”

She was right. He knew she was right. But leaving felt wrong. He didn’t know who was alive or who was dead. All he knew is that his home was crumbling. Again.

Maybe Faye was heading towards the meetup. Maybe she’d gotten on the bus, after all. Maybe he’d see her soon. He told himself a thousand maybes as he turned his back to the prison and pulled Beth towards the forest.

Maybe they’d be safe.

*******

Faye stumbled through the smoke and white plaster. She was coughing violently and could feel the telltale heat in her sternum that promised she’d be coughing up blood soon. But she didn’t care. Judith was close by, and walkers were roaming free.

At last, two shapes became visible through the haze, and she sped up. Without a thought, she tackled the unfamiliar woman to the ground before she could reach into Judith’s carrier and lay a finger on the wailing infant. They scrambled on the concrete for a few moments before Faye got a hit across the jaw in and stunned her. 

A deep gurgling groan sounded to her right just as she was raising her fist again. A walker had followed the sound of the cries and was only a few feet from Judith. In the struggle, she hadn’t noticed it approach. 

She barely got her legs under her before she shoulder-checked the dead one aside, sending it sprawling. A few quick kicks to its head made it still, at last. Faye knew that time was of the essence, and wasted no time in Pulling Judith from her carrier so quickly it toppled over and fell into the blood of the walker. 

As the enemy woman got back up, Faye drew her gun from her waistline with her free hand while Judith stayed on the opposite hip. She was close enough to her that she wouldn’t miss her mark and took the short moment of calm before the storm to study the woman. 

She had darker skin and lightened brown hair, like she'd lived outdoors for months. She was panting, arms at her side and making no move to attack them. Faye noted that she looks conflicted, almost apologetic. 

Faye pulled the trigger, and the woman flinched at the sound. The walker that was approaching from behind her dropped dead with a bullet in its forehead. Byt the time she looked back towards Faye, she was already sprinting for the gates, bending along the way to yank Judith’s discarded diaper bag with her.

Tara blinked after her before the closeby moans of walkers snapped her out of it, and she rushed to find shelter. 

Faye made it to the treeline with the hiccuping baby in her arms before she let herself look back while her chest heaved. The prison was burning, and no sign of life remained. Walkers roamed in and out of doorways freely while bits of walls toppled to the ground and the fences collapsed further. She didn’t know what she was expecting. Daryl wouldn’t be there waiting for her. If he made it out, he’d escape with whoever he can and keep them safe. Faye just had to do the same. 

A twig snapped behind her and she whipped around, gun raised and body between the threat and Judith. 

Merle scowled and pushed the weapon down. “Watch where yer aiming, Missy. Come on, getting to the meeting point was hard enough without a baby.” He turned and started marching through the undergrowth. 

The hot feeling rose through Faye’s throat again and she barely managed to croak out Merle’s name before the pressure won over her and she coughed weakly. A trickle of blood slithered from the corner of her mouth and her head felt stuffed all of the sudden. 

A strong grip on her shoulder steadied her before spots lit up behind her eyes and everything she heard felt muffled and distant. She could see Merle’s mouth moving through lidded eyes, but nothing made sense. Judith stayed tucked against her chest when her feet were swept out from under her by a pressure behind her legs and back. The last glimpse she got of the world was the blue sky through the treetops before everything went black.


	29. FAIRY PLAYLIST

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> THIS ISN'T A CHAPTER I never update that quickly lol... 
> 
> This is some of the music I've been listening to as I write, so I thought I'd share it!
> 
> Enjoy!

Song Title: **_Artist_**

*******

5, 4, 3, 2, 1: _**Aurora**_

Me and Mine: _**The Brothers Bright**_

Empire: _**Of Monsters and Men**_

Blood & Tears: _**Joseph**_

Never Let Me Go: _**Florence and the Machine**_

Twisted: _**MISSIO**_

Gotta Love It: _**Ruelle**_

Angel of Small Death: _**Hozier**_

You are my Sunshine: _**Alone.**_

Full Blown Love: _**Broods**_

Save Yourself: _**Kaleo**_

Work Song: _**Hozier**_

Mother: _**Florence and the Machine**_

Blood on My Name: _**The Brothers Bright**_

Bottom of the River: _**Delta Ray**_

Like Real People Do: _**Hozier**_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Angsty, I know... BUT HEY
> 
> I've decided that as I write Supernatural (my next fic), I'm going to re-write Mystery, because I'm a better writer now, and Ms. Romanoff deserves better. So keep an eye out! Lots of love and hugs!!


	30. Goodbye

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of what I like to call The Separation Anxiety chapters. So yeah, lots of sadness kinda sticking to the cannon plot so farrrrr, but it deviates extremely coming up. As usual, chapters won't be up that quickly but I am working on THREE new projects!! So it'll be a while but I hope it'll be worth it for ya'll.
> 
> So thanks babes, see you soon!

Merle grumbled under his breath while he rummaged through the janitor’s closet down the hall from where he’d left Faye. Judith cooed where she was wrapped to his back and tried to grab at a small bottle of hand sanitizer on a shelf. He knew, of course, that he was the absolute least qualified person to be playing caretaker to a dying woman and a baby still to young to eat solid foods. 

When Faye had passed out, he’d panicked. Walkers were everywhere and there were hostiles wandering the prison. He was pretty sure he’d used up all the good luck he had left in his life when he encountered neither in transporting the two to the closest shelter; a tall truck that was, unfortunately, stripped for parts and unable to run. 

Faye hadn’t woken up since the attack on the prison, and her fever had returned, but she looked less pale than she did when she went in to A block. The fact that she was still sleeping was worrisome, but Merle was luckily prepared. 

He was still equipped with the backpack he had filled with supplies for searching for Carol. And because she was in such close proximity to the sick, he had considered the possibility that she had fallen ill as well. So after making sure that everyone had the medicine they needed, he’d packed an IV for her. His plans had just...shifted, a little. 

There was no way in hell he was making it to the meet-up while Faye was unconscious and Judith was reliant on him alone. A PTSD riddled war veteran with a knife for a hand did not a mother make. So here he was, looking for stuff to eat or drink or sleep on. 

When the coast was clear, Merle had run like hell with Faye and Judith in his arms, jumping from cover to cover for hours until he found their current shelter; a children’s dance studio with locking metal doors and two shattered windows. He’d settled Faye in one of the smaller studios and did his best to hook up the IV to her arm one handed. He might have missed a couple of times, but he’d dragged her sorry ass through enemy territory with a baby. He figured she owed him and wasn’t too torn up about the purple bruise in her elbow. 

He pushed aside a blue tarp in his _To Use For Survival_ pile and kept rummaging. He just had to keep her alive until she regained enough strength to get to the rendezvous. Then he’d find Carol and...and what?

He sat back on his heels and let it wash over him. They had lost their home yesterday. Worse than that, they had been separated. He didn’t even know if his own brother had survived, let alone anyone else. People wouldn’t look for him if they thought he was dead. The odds were stacked against him, but that had never stopped him before. 

*******

Beth rubbed the bridge of her nose to combat the headache gathering behind her eyes. Daryl hadn’t stopped for a rest since the prison fell, and any requests to scavenge or hunt fell on deaf ears. He was focused, that much was clear, but on what Beth didn’t know. 

“Daryl, we need water. And shelter.” She tried again, “Wherever this meeting spot is, we haven’t seen anyone yet but that doesn’t mean they’re not out there. We can’t meet them if we’re dead.”

Daryl finally stopped, and Beth felt a small flicker of hope of a rest die when he held up his bow, aimed at the ground a few feet ahead of him. Beth wasn’t dumb. If there was a threat, she needed to stay quiet for the moment. Daryl let loose the arrow and lowered his bow without a word, as usual. 

“What was it?” Beth asked in a whisper, ever cautious. 

Daryl bent down to pick up whatever he had just killed and turned back to Beth. “Dinner,” he answered shortly and held out the three-foot snake for her to take. Beth grimaced but held the neck of the serpent while Daryl pulled his bolt out of its head. 

“What about water?” She asked before he could turn back around and keep trekking.

“There’ll be water at the meet up.” 

Beth sighed and continued on, snake dragging in the mud behind her. She hoped the others were doing okay, at least. 

*******

The sun was going down, casting long black shadows over the once pristine suburban home. Carl took off his hat to run a hand through his hair. He could still feel some of the cleanliness from his last shower from yesterday. It felt like months had passed since then.

Rick, unable to remain standing any longer than he had, was unconscious before he hit the couch cushions. He’d been asleep since that afternoon. Carl was left to keep watch while his brain overflowed.

He kept thinking about Judith’s carrier, tipped over next to a dead walker and a pool of blood that could have been red or black. He didn’t know if the walker that was killed was just fairly new, or if it had eaten his baby sister. He didn’t know, and that killed him all over again. 

She hadn’t even had her first words, for Gods sake. And now they didn’t even have anything to bury. None of this was fair. It never was. Everyone he knew was missing, hurt, or dead and he hated that this wasn’t the first time it had happened.

It struck him once again that he was just a kid. He didn’t even remember how old he was anymore. They had stopped counting the days after Hershel's calendar was left behind. Whatever. Time is an illusion.

He wished he didn’t have to be so impossibly strong all the time. It was just getting harder and harder to bear. 

*******

Glenn woke up like he’d been underwater for hours; gasping and coughing into the open air. The sky was above him, and concrete below. The riot vest was digging into his lower back, and his arm was tingling after hanging at a weird angle for who knows how long. On the plus side?, he thought, he didn’t feel like he would vomit at any moment.

It was still a struggle to sit up, but there were hands there to support him and help him get his bearings. He could hear muffled noise, and he was having trouble focusing on things close todffd him. But with some extreme focusing, he was able to clearly see the unfamiliar face staring down at him. 

“--ou okay?” She was asking. Her skin was tanned and her hair was dark and messy. She looked as great as Glenn felt, see: not good at all.

“What happened?” His voice was rough, and he finally understood what people meant when they described someone’s voice as grinding. It didn’t feel too awesome either.

“The tank shot out the bridge between the buildings,” She explained while she pulled him into a sitting position. “I ran for shelter and saw you on the edge, so I pulled you into a cell. Unfortunately, it’s more like half a cell but…” She gestured to the blown out wall and ceiling, “It comes with a great view?” She tried for a weak smile, but it trembled and fell before it could crinkle her eyes. 

“Who are you?” Glenn croaked, “I don’t remember you from the prison. Were you with the Governor?”

“I-yes,” She rushed to keep him from lunging for the open cell door, whisper-shouting, “Wait wait wait! I’m not with him anymore, I defected! He…” Glenn stilled, partially from the exhaustion still in his blood and partially from her insistent words. She released his shoulders and looked down at her crossed legs. “...he killed that man, and-and my sister got overwhelmed by those _things_ and he just watched. He fooled all of us, and I’m sorry.”

Glenn looked over her face to determine if what she was saying was true before he glanced up and down her person. His eyes stopped at her belt and the two black hatchetts wrapped in faded green paracord. “Where did you get those?” He sat up again, slower but still on guard. 

She touched the sheathe for the weapons and stood next to him. “Oh, I found them in one of the cells that were blown out. You’ve been asleep since the attack and it’s been at least one night since then so I...I mean should I put them back?”

“No, it’s fine. They just belong to a friend.” He hauled himself to his feet, joints aching. “We’ll give them back when we find her. Just do as I say, don’t try anything funny, and we’ll be back with my family by this time tomorrow. We’ll let them decide where to put you.”

“What, don’t trust me?” Her tone was playful, but Glenn shut her down with a sharp tone.

“No.” He motioned her out the doorway.

He wouldn’t be comfortable with anyone until he found his way back to his wife.

*******

It was late at night when Faye blinked her eyes open. She was in a dark room, laying on something padded. It felt like she was sitting up slightly with the support of some lumpy fabric beneath her shoulders and head. Her arm hurt. 

She groaned softly, the sound coming out as more of a whine when her throat ground out the noise. Immediately there was a rough hand against her forehead. She tried to open her eyes wider to see who it could be, but it was too dark and her head was pounding again. 

“How’re ya feelin’, Missy?” A familiar voice whispered to her. “Not dead yet, are ya?” 

“Merle…” She cut herself off with a harsh cough and shut her eyes again. Almost as if he could hear her thoughts, a water bottle lifted to her lips. She tried to suck down as much as she could but he pulled it away quickly. 

“No too much!” He scolded, still speaking softly. “We ain’t got enough to last if you throw it all up.” 

She just whimpered and let her head sink back into the fabric behind her. Within a few breaths, she was asleep again.

Merle sighed heavily and leaned back. Her fever didn’t feel as severe, but he knew very well it could just be the calm before the storm. This would make their second night here, and he was running low on formula. It was time for a run, he knew. 

Dawn was in a few hours, and he knew then would be the best time to scavenge. But at the same time, there was no way he could take Judith, and there was no way he could leave here here with Faye on her deathbed. If she turned when he wasn’t there to put her down, then… Judith wouldn’t stand a chance. 

He needed to Macgyver up a solution fast, or they would run out of supplies. He’d only planned to be out of the prison for three days, maximum, and that was before he’d had a sick woman and a baby to worry about. Now, they were approaching day three and he’d been out of the necessities since noon earlier that day.

He eyed the balance bar screwed into the wall of mirrors. If he remembered right, there were a couple of zip ties in that janitor closet. 

It only took him a few minutes to drag the gym pads he’d set Faye up with next to the bar, and a couple more to get the zip ties from the closet. He carefully lifted her arm not pierced by the IV and tightened a tie around her wrist and the bar. This way, even if she turned she couldn’t get to Judith, and he could leave the baby in the room. He left a knife next to her bedding just in case she had to leave or get out for a moment. He knew she wouldn’t free herself unless it was an emergency, even if her brain had been cooked by a fever for the past four days. 

He stood up and inspected his work before nodding in approval and grabbing his pack and weapons. He hesitated in taking Faye’s handgun, though. There were only three shots left in it, and he was hesitant enough to leave her with only a knife to defend herself anyway, so he set the weapon down next to her IV arm. 

Satisfied that he’d done everything he could for her, he closed the door behind him and headed down the stairs. The sun was just rising when he left the building, and the silence reassured him that it was safe. Not a walker was in sight. He was still cautious, though. Typical paranoia had kept him alive this long, so he stayed in the shadows on the edge of the streets while he left the dance studio behind.

Unknown to him, seven pairs of eyes watched his every step before diverting their gaze back to the building and fragile lives he left behind.

*******

The march up the hills of the golf course was long, and made even more difficult by the tangling weeds that had grown over the once healthy grass. That, and Daryl’s unrelenting pace. So when the country club finally loomed over the hills, Beth’s sigh of relief was obvious. 

They had travelled well past sundown the night before, driven by Daryl’s desperation disguised as determination. Their only break was one that Beth had to wrench from the older man with more force than would take to pull teeth. They were up and walking again by dawn anyway.

“Is this it?” Beth panted as their boots crunched on the gravel driveway leading to the building. “Where’s the bus?”

“Dunno.” Daryl replied and pulled at the chains on the door. “Maybe left it a ways back so they won’t attract attention.” It was just hope, and they both knew it, but Beth stayed silent all the same. Daryl ignored the door after testing that the locks were all still in place and stepped in the dried out flower bed to access the side window. The frame popped out of place easily and Daryl nodded to Beth to go in. “Michonne and I cleared it out while we were out looking for that dickhead. Should be safe.”

Beth still drew her knife just in case. The place was cleaned out of supplies and walkers, and true to Daryl’s word, sealed at every window except to one he was able to pull out. She stepped lightly through the entryway and behind the counter while Daryl attached the windowpane back to the building.

He turned and looked around the room before walking through the house. “Faye?” he called into the empty house, “Rick? Glenn, Merle, Michonne, anyone?” He began throwing open doors and searching a little more recklessly. 

Beth already knew the shelter was empty. She could feel it in the silence and footprint-free marble floor. She didn’t want to think what must have happened if no one was here yet.

Daryl’s hurried footsteps came back to the lobby. He didn’t seem to register that Beth was even there as he began pacing across the now muddy floors. He was mumbling to himself while he pulled at the strap on his crossbow. “We can go back...find tracks and find them...no, no walkers woulda’ trampled over ‘em...gotta do something…!” 

“Daryl,” Beth stepped out from behind the counter and tried to calm him without getting too close. “Daryl, calm down. It’s okay.”

“Nothing about this is okay!” He finally turned to look at her with shining eyes. “We’ve lost everything and now we don’t even know who’s dead and who’s alive!” He ran a hand over his face roughly and went right back to venting, “Your dad’s dead and ya ain’t even crying about it! I had the shot, Christ I could’ve killed that bastard but I _didn’t_!” 

“That’s not your fault, Rick was negotiating and--” 

“No, I had the shot! The same man that beat my wife, tried to kill my brother, and killed three of our own was in my sights and I…I was too weak!” He went back to pacing, breaths coming in huffs. Beth recognized the signs of hysterics setting in and approached quickly. “We’re never gonna see ‘em again...we’re all gonna die because I didn’t--”

She took hold of his biceps and stopped his movements and made him look her in the eyes. “Daryl, look at me! None of this is your fault. Killing him still would have brought that tank down on us, and his followers would’ve just thought that he was doing the right thing.”

“Don’t matter now.” He spoke in monotone, “If I can’t even take a stupid shot I sure as hell can’t take care of you. God, Beth I’m sorry…” He looked down and squeezed his eyes shut. “I shoulda done something...shoulda kept looking and put that bastard down when I had the chance. Shoulda got everyone out and kept us together.”

Beth pursed her lips and pulled him down so they were sitting. Once Daryl’s legs were relaxed on the floor, Beth pushed the crossbow strap off his shoulder and set it down gently before wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "I know you look at me and you just see another dead girl. I'm not Michonne. I'm not Carol. I'm not Maggie. I'm not Faye." He flinched at his wife's name. She lowered her tone, "I've survived even though I'm not like you or them. But I made it and I’m afraid every damn day. It’s okay to be scared but we can’t shut down whenever something bad happens. We’ll be okay.”

He sniffed before it felt like everything flooded his senses at once, and he could only clutch to her tightly while sobs wracked his body. She rubbed over the angel wings on his back while he worked through his thoughts, knowing that anything she said at this point would be taken as pity and make him feel worse. 

It was her turn to be strong, and she couldn’t let Daryl down. 

*******

The slamming of the entrance door downstairs had Faye jolting awake, then groaning softly when the full-body discomfort slammed into her. She shifted on her makeshift bed while blinking against the dim morning sunlight shining through the windows. Her arm tugged against her when she turned, forcing her to take notice of the zip-tie restraint pinning her in place. Smart, she thought, to plan for her dying and minimizing the damage she could do as a walker. 

Something scraped against the floor downstairs, probably a piece of furniture. The noise woke Judith up and she started to whine in her tell-tale signal that she was about to cry. Didn’t Merle know to stay quiet?

She gripped the bar and started to pull herself up, and her elbow bumped the knife next to her. At least Merle was kind enough to allow her a way to escape. She heard footsteps climbing the stairs and braced herself to have to talk to Merle. Then she heard another pair, and another, and unfamiliar voices. 

She snapped awake and dove for the knife. She nearly cut her own wrist as she started sawing at the plastic. The IV fell out of her arm with a sharp pinch, but that wasn’t important now. Judith chose that moment to start crying for attention, undoubtedly drawing whoever it was to them. She just managed to saw through her binds when the door flew open loudly, and two unfamiliar men stared down their rifles at her.

Nobody spoke for a moment, letting the tension build, then Faye shifted, and her hand bumped something solid under the coat she’d pushed off of her person. Judith was still crying, and she spared a glance at the baby while she gently grabbed what was under her to shape the object. She determined that it was Maggie’s gun before someone shouted from downstairs. Faye clicked the safety off.

“Lou! What’s the hold up?!”

The fatter of the two men, Lou, apparently, turned to yell back down the hall, and Faye made her move. Faster than the other man could pull the trigger, she raised her own gun and shot him in the gut. His own gun went off when he doubled over himself and shattered the mirror behind her. She blinked against the glass raining down on her and slashing new spiderweb-scars into her skin and fired again, this time at Lou. This shot hit him in the chest and he fell backwards into the hall. The gun clicked on empty when she raised it towards their heads.

It was over quickly but she didn’t have a moment to lose. A stampede of footsteps were thundering up the stairs towards the carnage. With a single-minded determination, she pushed herself away from the wall and scrambled towards Judith, sidearm forgotten and useless in the mats behind her. Her fingertips barely brushed the soft fabric of her onesie before she was tackled from the side and slammed against the hardwood floor. 

All air left her lungs and she was powerless to stop the hands wrapping around her throat. The knife that she had gripped so tightly mere moments ago clattered to the hardwood and slid across the floor, only a few feet out of reach. Faye scratched at the wrists and knuckles of her captor, but that only made him squeeze tighter until she couldn’t breathe at all. He released her airway after a few seconds, just enough to let her breathe normally and make sure she wasn’t planning on fighting back. 

“Well ain’t that a shame.” A deeply southern voice tutted from somewhere above her. “Y’know, sweetheart, we have a policy between us here. If anyone kills our own, they gotta go. But you,” Finally a figure stepped above her head looking down on her. The owner of the voice, a man with a dirty gray beard and even dirtier clothes, smiled down at her with false sympathy. “killed Harley and Dan. So instead of just killin’ ya, I think you owe my boys and I a little... _extra_.”

Faye pressed her lips together tightly and nodded slowly. “Okay, yes just...don’t hurt my baby. Anything you want, but you don’t touch her.” She could already feel bile rising in her throat, but no matter what happened from that moment on, she had to make sure Judith was safe. 

He shook his head, “Nah, kids were more Lou’s thing. We don’t give a damn ‘bout your spawn. Besides,” He squat down closer to her face and grinned with yellowing teeth. “We’re killing you anyway.”

The man on top of her released her throat with one hand and yanked at her belt. Before Faye even had a chance to brace herself, a shotgun went off downstairs. All movement in the studio halted for only a split second before Faye made her move. 

She reached for the hand clutching her throat quicker than the man on top of her could react and gripped his thumb. With a sickening crack! it was bent the wrong way and he was howling. She cut him off by bringing up her knee between his legs and shoving him off of her. While he was down next to her, she grabbed a handful of hair in each of her hands and twisted, breaking his neck at an odd angle and leaving him to suffocate with a broken trachea. The rolling and physical strain took its toll, and a wave of nausea so strong it felt like her eyes were rolling back Joe didn’t take too kindly to that, and picked up the knife she’d dropped slowly.

He sighed, “I wish you hadn’t done that, sweetheart.” He dove at her as another gunshot went off downstairs, and the fighting reached its climax. Faye had barely gotten her feet under her again before she was knocked back down. This time she managed to get a jab at his throat and disoriented him for a moment. She used his distraction to buck him up and flip him over so she was on top.

Again and again she brought her fist down on his face, not giving him a second of rest. She knew her hits were weaker than usual due to the illness that was still flourishing inside her, but she couldn’t stop. Hot rage was pumping through her blood and pounding against her skull. This man was trying to kill her. He would have given Judith to some pervert to suffer the same fate she would. Him and his posse came here to take, and she had a lot to give. 

He caught one of her fists and pulled her arm forward, sending her off balance and letting him push her aside. The leader tried to pin her for only a few seconds before he seemed to remember the weapon in his hand. Faye scrambled for the knife in his grip, but he caught on too quickly and plunged it down at her eye.

The look on his face was malicious and bloodthirsty, a total change from the calm mask he’d worn just a moment ago. Her forearm caught his wrist and pressed against his assault to keep him at bay for just a few more moments. The sound of yelling and a long, familiar scream echoed in the building, but Faye was more concerned with the rasping groans coming from the body across the room. 

The corpse blinked open its now-yellow eyes and looked over the room. It zeroed in on the wailing of the infant in the corner, and began to climb to its feet. Adrenaline and rage was replaced by pure, organic fear as Faye redoubled her efforts to push the weapon away from her. Joe noticed and met with more resistance. 

In a split-second decision, Faye pushed the blade as far to her left as she could, and released the force she was using to hold it back. The serrated edge cut grating pain into the skin just under her eye and further back into the shell of her ear. The blade cut into the slack chain around her neck and her tags fell from her throat unnoticed by both of them. Joe pitched forward while blood flooded Faye’s eye, and she finally got the knife from him. From there it was easy to twist it up and into his stomach, and roll him off of her. 

With dead hands outstretched, the fresh walker reached for the screaming infant. Its fingertips barely gripped the front of her onsie before it fell limp. Above it, Faye panted through clenched teeth, knife buried in the back of its head. Joe was still groaning on the ground, trying to stop the bleeding even as a puddle spread around him and coated her dog tag, putting them out of sight for good. Faye paid him no mind and picked up Judith and her diaper bag almost calmly, even as red coated the entire left side of her face. The fighting downstairs had almost subsided, but walkers would be flooding the area in no time at all. 

Vision in her left eye was all but gone, and she still held a deep ache in her bones from the fading illness. She needed Merle. That had been his scream, she knew it, but somehow, she knew he was still alive. Her footsteps were heavy on the stairs to the lobby, and Judith had quieted herself to small whines and huffs without comforting. Walkers were already pawing at the windows and boarded back entrances when she entered the trashed lobby.

The side tables and vases that once held fresh flowers were shattered and splintered on the floor. Splatters of blood dotted the cream marble, and Faye glanced down when she stepped on something that squished. Oh, god were those fingers? She huffed out a displeased grunt and stepped past the three stubby blue appendages. 

Merle was nowhere to be seen, but the front door was barricaded with the side of the couch, so she guessed that he was still inside somewhere. Judith fussed a little with her head buried in Faye’s neck, and the woman mindlessly shushed her. Before she could begin searching for an exit that didn’t have a build up of the dead, a live person stumbled out of an adjacent doorway.

The unfamiliar man had wide eyes and was clutching a bleeding hand to his chest. Fay noted with satisfaction that he was missing three fingers. As soon as they met each others eyes, he grunted in fearful surprise and glanced behind him, where Merle must have been. Faye held his gaze for a few seconds, while he debated whether he could get past her or if she, too, would attack him. Eventually she stepped aside and jerked her head down the hall, face as cold and expressionless as the marble she stood on.

He limped past her quickly, keeping his eyes on her the whole time until he could dodge past her and into the depths of the building, undoubtedly looking for a safe exit, like Faye should be. Instead, she followed the carnage and cracked walls to the end of the hall. The glass doors had been baradaded again, this time with a piano bench turned in its side and braced with a large armchair from the lobby, and the old planks previously keeping them shut lay in pieces on the floor. Walkers already crowded against the exit with their dead and bloody claws beating the glass.

Faye ignored them and kept looking for Merle.

She found him in an office, stumbling around the desk and clutching his shoulder. When she entered, he tensed like he was ready to fight, but relaxed exponentially when he saw it was her and she was alive. Faye barely noticed his reaction, though, because her eyes kept darting from the covered wound on his shoulder, and the bloody mouth of a walker on the floor.

“Merle,” She croaked while her face stung across her cheek. Tears pricked at her eyes from the pain of what the future held and the physical injury. “Are you…?”

“Yeah,” He nodded, “I’m bit.”

*******

The cemetery surrounding the funeral home was empty of walkers, so Daryl made the decision that they would be staying there tonight. He and Beth had to leave the country club when a herd had risen up over the hills of the golf course. They’d decided to go back when it was safe, but for now they were only in the next neighborhood a few miles away. 

They’d talked, he’d cried, she’d cried, they left graffiti on the wall that read “ _BETH AND DARYL ALIVE. WILL COME BACK_.” and left. That was all there was time for anyway. Daryl didn’t want to talk about the what ifs, and Beth didn’t want to hear it. So it all worked out. Now if only he could figure out why he still felt so heavy. 

There were cans strung across the porch, and the door was unlocked, but Beth still knocked even as they walked in. 

“Hello?” She called, “We’re armed, but friendly. We just got separated from our group and we saw this place.” There was no answer. Beth shrugged at Daryl and made her way towards the stairs, knife out, but he grabbed her elbow and held her back.

“We stay together. Don’t know if there’s anyone friendly here.” 

She nodded and stayed behind him while they cleared out the house. It was secure and free of anything living or dead, which only further cemented the theory that this house was someone’s base. For now, though, they set up their meager belongings in the showroom, in the middle of the house.

The sun was setting and they hadn’t eaten since the snake, so Daryl left Beth to secure the room to sleep while he raided the kitchen. But he found himself blinking into an open cupboard. The shelves were stacked with cans, bags, and...he wrinkled his brow in surprise, was that bread? Real, baked, not moldy bread? He grabbed the loaf and a jar of some kind of gold preserve. He was hoping peaches, but he wasn’t picky.

When he made it back to Beth, she had pushed most of the chairs against the wall and was sitting at the piano bench. SHe looked up when he walked in. “The door opens in, so we can put one of those chairs against it to close ourselves in.” That was Beth, so smart and adaptable. 

“Good thinking,” He sat on the bench next to her and held up the food. “Ideas like that deserve a reward.” 

Her mouth dropped open and she stared at the jar. “Are those peaches?” She grabbed the jar and yanked the top off. Her eyes slid shut as she inhaled loudly, and Daryl’s mouth twitched in amusement. “Shit, I don’t think we’ve had real peaches since the farm…” The smile on her face dwindled a bit, and was replaced by a copy that might be believable if Daryl hadn’t known her for so long.

“You good?” He tore a piece of the bread off and passed it to her. 

She coated the chunk in jam but hesitated to eat it. “Just...hope we find our people. Hope Maggie and Glenn are alive, hope Carl’s okay, hope someone got Judith out… Lots of hope, I guess.” Before Daryl could conjure up some inspiring words, she bit into her dinner and her emotions did a complete turn. “Oh, holy shit!” She groaned loudly, “I forgot that food has taste. Try some.” 

He took the offered morsel and held it on his tongue. The sweet tangy flavor melted across his mouth and made him hum in content surprise. 

“Also,” Beth grinned and pulled a small white box out of her jacket pocket. “Found some cigarettes. Want one?” She waved it back and forth enticingly.

Daryl leaned back against the piano and shook his head. “Nah… Faye made me quit with her when we watched Judy.” 

The teen pressed her lips together and lowered the box. The light in the room stretched dim and gold as the sun set slowly, and the house remained silent save for the sound of the two chewing quietly in silence tainted with a type of discomfort neither would admit to feeling. They missed their family, but knew that lamenting over what they lost would just remind them of how lonely they really were. 

Daryl was almost grateful to hear the dog barking outside.

While he stood with his bow up and ready, Beth shot to her feet with a quiet squeal. “Is that a dog?” She asked, “Daryl please tell me that’s a dog.”

“Hush,” He snapped, “Could belong to whoever’s livin’ here. Stay low.” She obeyed, but huffed to make her irritation known while she slunk behind the piano and dropped into a crouch. 

Once he was sure Beth was out of sight, he left the room quietly and approached the door to the porch. He couldn’t see any staggering shadows through the dusty glass, but still took caution when opening the door. 

While he expected to see a dog, it still took him a moment to process the creature in front of him. It was gray, maybe white once, with one eye and a lolling tongue. It’s ears were flopped over, and a piece of one was missing, but its tail started wagging as soon as Daryl looked down at it. 

It didn’t try to run past him, just sat down and whined. A quick scan of the area revealed that he was alone, not even a walker in sight. Daryl crouched down and held out his hand, not reaching, just an offer for the animal. The dog sniffed his fingers carefully, and Daryl spoke quietly to it, hoping to lure it in or at least make sure it wasn’t going to bite him. But when it didn’t find any food in his hand, it huffed and turned back down the stairs. Its tail lowered instinctually when it passed under the string of cans, telling Daryl that it had been through here many times before. 

When it passed around the house and out of sight, Daryl stood again and closed the door. 

*******

Faye bounced Judith fitfully while she thought out her next course of action. “Okay, maybe...maybe we can get you to the meet up. Those guys that attacked up made it this far, maybe they have medicine!” She turned to Merle with false hope in her eyes. 

Merle, who ad given up on even patching up the bite, raised his brows. “Meetup is at least two days trip if you can find a car. Service road’s blocked out of the town, so you’ll have to drive around. I won’t make that.” 

“Don’t…” Faye shook her head and shot a weak glare his way, “Don’t sound that way… Don’t talk like you’ve given up.” She kept pacing slowly while she rubbed Judith’s back.

“I don’t have a chance, Missy!” Merle snapped, “I haven’t given up on the both of you yet, and I’m your best shot at getting out of here before those doors come down and we’re all dead.” 

“No, no, I’m not leaving you.”

“You have to. I ain’t walking outta here. Maybe I could’ve if I hadn’t left you and the kid here alone, that’s on me.” He grabbed her arm and made her turn to face him. “But the rest has gotta fall onto you. You gotta make sure she’s safe, you need to find my brother.” Before Faye could deny his idea he shook her lightly. “Promise me, Missy.” He stared her down, “Find them. Keep them safe.”

Her lower lip trembled and she hung her head if only to escape his sharp blue eyes, so much like her husband’s that she couldn’t bear it. “I...I can’t. I’m too sick and-and I’m not good with her. We’ll get caught, I’ll fail--”

“Stop it.” She shut her mouth with an audible click. “You didn’t fail today, and you won’t tomorrow. It don’t matter if you can’t, ‘cause you ain’t got a choice here. You just gonna give up? Leave Judith alone?” 

She shook her head. The tears gathering in her eyes finally spilled over and seeped into her fresh wound, making her flinch at the sting but she couldn’t stop herself. Nothing felt real, Merle couldn’t be dying. He shouldn’t be comforting her when he was the one who was bitten. She should have been there, wished she was, but knew that she couldn’t. She was protecting Judith and would have risked her if she left. But she was still losing someone. 

“Aw, jeez…” Merle sighed and pulled a deep green bandana out of his pocket. “Here,” he folded it and wrapped it around her face diagonally to cover her left ear and eye. She flinched back but let him work, knowing that it would be best to take care of herself better from here on. “Better?” He asked when he was done.

Instead of answering she pleaded with a cracking voice, “Please don’t go… I can’t be alone again.” 

“Hey,” He took her by the shoulders and met her eyes, “It’s only for a little while, okay? And you have to be strong, for her.” He nodded to Judith. “You can do it. You have to.”

She nodded weakly and drew her knife again. She took a shaky breath and motioned to him. “Should I…?”

He chuckled humorlessly, “Thanks, Missy. But I’m your way outta here, remember? I gotta be breathing for just a few more minutes. Here,” He slung off his pack and helped her put it on. “When you find shelter, you can sort through everything and put it all in the pack. But for now, Missy,” He looked her in the eye with a small, sad smile, “Run. Get away from here. And tell my brother I died like I lived, kicking ass.”

Faye didn’t laugh. 

“And, uh,” He glanced away awkwardly, “Tell Carol...Thanks. She’ll know, just...tell her.”

Faye nodded and he started pushing her backwards towards the hall. “W-wait, I’m not ready to--” 

“How many times I gotta tell you, Missy?” Merle pulled her into a tight hug, thankfully pressing her face to his shoulder that was gore-free. “It don’t matter what you’re ready for. Life is happening now and you gotta go.” He pushed her into the hall and closed the door behind them. 

Judith started to fuss again at the sound of bodies slamming against the barricaded exit. While Faye did her best to soothe her, she was still making too much noise to safely move past the herd. 

“I’ll draw them,” Merle said, determined, “Hold off as many as I can. Hopefully trap those living fuckers in here with me and clean them out, too. You know what to do?”

“Run fast, find shelter, protect Judith.” Faye recited his list.

“And find the others.” He nodded and motioned her aside. “Now get ready. Stay behind the door. You’re leaving as soon as they pass me. Good luck, Missy.” A smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes stretched across his lips. “I better not be seeing you anytime soon.” 

“You say that like we’re going to the same place.” 

And for just a moment, it was like they were just on another run; cracking dumb jokes, exchanging fake insults, planning to meet up after this week's crazy plan. The side of Merle's mouth twitchedup.

“Now look at that, you went and ruined our little moment!” He chuckled, for real that time. “Now get ready. Time to go.”

She nodded and held Judith’s head down against her shoulder. The fit would be tight, but she could use the open door to create a corner between the dead and her cargo. Merle nodded once and shoved the armchair aside. The doors burst open as the pile-up of walkers fell flat in a heap, all gnashing teeth and bloody fingernails. 

Merle let them come, shouting and making a commotion that drew them inside. Like ants to sugar, they streamed towards their next meal. Faye was left to watch it all through the wire-enforced window with her lip between her teeth. her breath was hiccupping and her vision blurred with tears, but there was nothing she could do from her corner without risking Judith. And with one last glance behind him to make sure he was still being followed, Merle vanished around a corner, and Faye was truly, completely alone.

*******

“She’s alive, you know.” Beth said matter-of-factly, “She was on her own long enough to know how to survive and she’s probably not alone.”

“I know,” Daryl agreed and pulled a strip of rabbit meat off of the bone. He had set traps outside the house so they wouldn’t totally consume the stash they’d found. It was easy enough to start a fire inside of a large cooking pot and roast the meat over the flames. “She was on the bus. Still worried.” 

“Why?”

“Well, because she’s my wife.” He handed Beth the morsel and went back to carving the cooked rabbit. “I’ll always worry about her. And she protects everyone. If anyone is gonna die on that bus she’s gonna do her best to be the first. Just who she is.” 

“Oh…” Beth looked down at her crossed feet, then around the showroom. She rubbed the side of her finger over her chapped lips, and the gesture was just so obviously Faye that it had Daryl’s throat closing up before he realized it. 

Before he could stop himself, he blurted out, “You’re a lot like her. Faye, I mean.”

The teen raised her eyebrows in amusement and replied sarcastically, “Yep, that’s me. Four walkers, one plank of wood, under twelve seconds.”

Daryl snorted at the memory. Half of those kills had just been dumb luck.

“Or literally kicking walker heads off.” Beth chuckled, “I remember the first time she did that was at the prison. Watching was gross but you were in the splash zone.”

He snorted and took a bite out of a leg. “Shit, I barely even remember that. Think that was a little before I realized I loved her.”

Beth cooed, “Aww, you two are adorable! In the ‘could kill using just a thumb’ kinda way.”

Daryl chuckled and was about to reply when he was interrupted by familiar barking coming from outside. “Aw, hell.” He stood and snatched a piece of meat. “Damn dog is back.”

“Are you gonna let him in?” Beth stood like she was going with him. 

“Depends on if he wants to. And stay here,” He fixed her with a pointed stare, “We dunno what the hell it wants or if it’s alone this time.”

Beth huffed but sat back down on the floor to continue sorting through their supplies they planned on taking back to the meet-up. Satisfied that she wasn’t going to do anything reckless, Daryl brought his knife to the door, along with the treat.

When he swung open the door, the dog wasn’t on the porch, but on the lawn in front of the house. He continued barking at him, and Daryl soon saw why. Dozens of dark shapes shifted in the darkness, like an impenetrable wall of rotting flesh and dead bones making their way towards the house. 

“Shit…!” Daryl didn’t bother closing the door, just yelled back to his companion while he ran back towards the room. “Beth! Get what you can, we gotta go!”

She was already standing with his crossbow held out to him when he reached her. He snatched it to him and grabbed one of the flimsy bags she’d filled with rations and water bottles. While she slung the other one over her own shoulders, he ran back to meet the fray.

They were mere feet from the house when he ran outside, and he was releived to see that the dog was nowhere to be seen. “Beth, let’s go!” He called back. The blonde made an appearance moments later, knife drawn and eyes wide. 

She stuck to his side while they pushed their way through a clearer section of the dead, slashing and shooting when they could. A problem arose in the form of a smaller cluster of them targeting the living humans, so Daryl waved Beth away.

“Get to the road! I’ll meet you!” He fired a bolt through the forehead of one, and aimed a stab at another that was moving faster than the rest. So focused on the battle, he was unable to check and see if Beth had listened to him and ran to safety. 

Even after a close call, he couldn’t turn to check because there was another at his back. He turned to finish it off, just in time to witness what he couldn’t hope to have prevented.

An unfamiliar black car traveled quickly up the gravel road, tires unheard over the groans of the herd. Beth, who had obeyed Daryl’s orders, was right in the path of the car, and was slammed back and onto the rocks roughly. 

“ _BETH_!” Without hesitation, Daryl sprinted towards the scene. He shoved the dead back without taking the time to kill them for the sake of making it, oh god please be okay, I’m gonna kill whoever is in that car--

Two men rushed from the front seats and didn’t even check to see if she was okay. They just loaded her into the back seat like cargo and got back into the vehicle. Beth was fearfully limp and unresisting the entire time.

Daryl’s fingers just barely brushed the black shine of the back trunk before the engine revved and gravel sprayed over his body. He sputtered and blinked away the dirt, squinting through the water in his eyes to follow the path of the glowing red tail lights winding up the road and back into the forest. 

He sprinted after it without a second of hesitation. Away from the safe house and the dog and the herd bleeding from the cemetery. He couldn’t lose anyone else. He couldn’t lose Beth, even though he knew what his mind kept repeating over and over.

Beth was gone. And it was his fault.

He was alone again.


	31. Worse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: thoughts of suicide and whispers of madness ahead. This chapter is pretty dark, like the last moments of your phone battery before you plug it in just before it dies. (Not very poetic but work with me) Please don't push yourself to read if you're worried about it, I'll put a brief summary in the end notes so you can be kinda up to date.

Daryl ran. Until his legs were numb and every step felt like his legs may buckle beneath him. He couldn’t see the car anymore, of course he couldn’t. He ran because it was something to do; a means to an end that would never come. 

Beth was somewhere he couldn’t protect her, and even though it didn’t match up with the weird family dynamic of their group he’d always seen Beth as a younger sister. He’d already lost his wife and his brother and his family and he could not lose the one thing he was supposed to be protecting. 

The only occasion that made him stumble in his tracks was a passing herd that was gathering to one side of a crossroads. Easy enough, he just took the other path. This one led into a big neighborhood full of townhouses spaced far apart from each other. All he could hope now was that Beth was being held here, and that he could find her before her kidnappers did whatever they took her for.

*******

Maggie kept the lead for most of their journey, and Bob could tell it was wearing her thin. They were all worried for their family, but Maggie was letting her fear of not finding Glenn take over. She was getting reckless, and that made her dangerous to him and Sasha as well as the walkers they’d encountered thus far. 

Now, they were wandering through a strip mall that had an eerie silence to it. Windows were broken and cars were crashed into buildings, but there was no sign of life. Or walkers. 

“Maggie,” Sasha tried, “We need to find shelter for the night. Somewhere with a good vantage point.” maggie turned back with a finger raised, ready to argue, but Sasha beat her to it. “Don’t try and tell us we can last the night out there. You’re tired. We need to stay healthy if we’re going to live through this.” 

The woman relented slowly. She lowered her arm to hang heavily at her side. “Fine. Where?” She didn’t sound happy about it, but at least they wouldn’t be wandering around in the dark anymore. 

Sasha didn’t even have to search. She just pointed to the tallest building on that stretch of the neighborhood. “That one. The one with the smaller windows.” This time, she took the lead on the path towards the back doors.

“Looks a little old, don’t you think?” Bob asked when he caught up with her. “May not be stable.”

“We’ll take the chance.” Maggie’s statement sounded more like an order. “Can probably see things better from that roof, too.” 

Entering the building was easy. There was a rotting corpse jammed between the back doors that had stopped moving after a knife wound to its head. They barely glanced twice at it before they stepped past it and into the barren hallways. 

The cream marble was soiled by dust and muddy footprints lining the hall. Soil spilled across the area from a large potted plant that had long since dried up. The building was eerily silent for the moment. 

Maggie opened her mouth to undoubtably assign instructions, but was cut off by a metallic screeching noise. Immediately, their guns were up and their backs to each other while they scanned their surroundings. The noise sounded again, this time they were able to tell that it had come from upstairs. 

Maggie gestured wordlessly and they shifted to cover each other as they moved towards the stairs. A long hallway with doorways across both sides opened up in front of them. Only one door was left open and provided a soft glow into the otherwise dark hallway.

Maggie broke formation and peered into the room, only to relax marginally. Only a single walker was left over, feeding off of another body with it’s back to them. Maggie just gestured for the length of metal pipe across Bob’s backpack and tucked her gun away. 

The walker was dead before it even knew it was in danger of being clubbed across the skull. Sasha took in the trashed state of the studio and concluded that there must have been a fight, and they were staring at the losers’ corpses. The back mirror was shattered and the shards of reflective glass sparkled dully across the wood floor. splashes and puddles of blood, now dry and crusted, dotted the back half of the studio.

“Well, I hope they were the bad guys.” Bob mumbled sourly.

While Sash was able to scoff in agreement, Maggie seemed distracted. She stepped over the bodies and towards one of the thicker blood stains. Before Sasha even had a chance to ask what she was doing, she bent down and picked up a broken chain.

“Oh, no…” she muttered and scrubbed at the tag hanging at the end of it until it was mostly free of blood. “Shit, no!” Her sudden broken outburst made Bob flinch, and Sasha heft up her gun instinctually. 

“Shh! What?!” Sasha snapped and waved Bob to keep watch out the door for anything or anyone that may have heard her. “What could possibly make you think it’s okay to just--” Maggie thrust the charm towards her to read. 

_Daryl Dixon, “Caxap”, A promise to always come home._

“Oh…” At last Sasha understood, “Faye.”

“Yeah, _Faye_.” Maggie repeat, sounding hollow. “God, how are we gonna tell--”

“Sorry, but…” Bob spoke up, “We have a few walkers coming from the downstairs, only three of them but...oh.” His voice lost it’s urgency. “It’s Merle.” 

“ _What_?” Maggie hissed and nearly shoved him aside to see. 

Merle was dead. He walked in a slow shamble with his mouth open and dripping red blood. The blade on his prosthetic was gone. The walkers beside him were obviously older and more rotten. 

Maggie cursed under her breath and shoved the bloody dog tag into her back pocket before pushing the pipe back at Bob. She stepped into the hallway and waited for the small group of walkers to reach her. She didn’t move, didn’t cry, didn’t rush to attack, just waited. When Merle got close enough, she drew the hunting knife on her thigh and plunged it under his chin and through the base of his skull. 

Sasha made quick work of the other two dead ones with silenced gunshots.

Maggie didn’t take her eyes off of the crumpled corpse at her feet. “We should save bullets.” Her voice was small, like she was just reciting a mantra. 

“I know, Maggie.” Sasha gently cradled her elbow and lifted the dirty blade in her hand to pry her fingers away and leave her standing over her almost friend. 

“Do you think…” Bob gulped, “Do you think Faye was--”

“She’s dead.” 

Sasha wrinkled her brow. “How can you be sure? We haven’t found a body and we know she was here.”

“Because,” Maggie finally looked up and stared at a point behind Sasha. “I saw her just before the prison fell. I know how sick she was, and I know she wouldn’t last like that. Even with the medicine Merle probably got her.” She pointed to the IV bag still hanging from the balance pole. 

“She’s dead. They both are.” Maggie took a sharp breath in and stepped over Merle. “And we have to keep moving and find the people who aren’t.”

Sasha and Bob exchanged a glance before following after her. Neither of them argued. 

*******

Faye was not okay. She could feel the tell-tale burn just behind her throat that promised she would be coughing soon, and her face was warmer than it should be in the cold weather. The first few hours of walking allowed her to process, and she kept running over her and Merle’s last encounter. 

It felt too easy. It was too simple; to let someone go like she did… She should’ve fought more. Not just for Merle but for Judith, who had been hungry for the last few miles. And while Merle had never been a baby expert, two people protecting and caring for a baby would be much better than two. 

Now, Faye was stumbling through a neighborhood, long abandoned with cars stacked at the ends of some of the intersections. Walkers roamed freely, but ignored her for the most part. She looked exactly like them by now, and Judith was being oddly quiet, save for a few whimpers of hunger.

Her fingers were cold, but her brain felt like it was cooking. It felt like she was full of cotton, all the way down to her joints. Judith needed shelter, food water, and a diaper change, and that had to be more important right then. 

It only took about a block’s worth of walking to find a barricaded house that looked easy enough to break into. The front door wasn’t boarded up, but it was still locked. So, with a baby on her back and a rifle in hand, she kicked against the oak door….and failed. 

It took three tries, three kicks that took all of her energy and drew the attention of any dead in at least a mile, but she got in and slammed the door behind her. Almost as an afterthought, she hefted her gun up and shook the fog of exhaustion out of her mind. 

The house wasn’t quiet; not in the way that empty things were. The air wasn’t still enough and the hairs on the back of Faye’s neck were on end. Once upon a time she would have been worried that she was just being paranoid, but then people started eating people and she’d watched at least half of the people she knew die. 

Everything felt off in the house. It was a small one-story with an open entryway that led directly into the living room, so it was easy enough to see that at least the front of the house was empty. Walkers were already pawing at the door, but they were weakened from the cold seeping into their frosted corpses. Faye elected not to waste the energy on killing them and stalk through the house on light feet.

Judith squirmed in the wrap on her back and huffed loudly. Faye reacted by habit and pat her bottom with a free hand before snapping back to her gun and peering around a corner into the kitchen. When she saw the body with a cleaver in its head she lowered her weapon and dubbed the area safe, for the moment. There were locking doors that would completely close off the kitchen from the rest of the house, and Judith needed a diaper change.

While she was reluctant to put down her gun, she made the exception to swing Judith around and lower the baby down onto the kitchen table. She made quick work of the wrap and tucked it aside, glancing up and around the room all the while she worked.

A slight tug on her fingernail made her look down. The fabric of Judith’s onsie was fraying, and a string had gotten caught on a hangnail. No, the fabric was torn. Faye wrinkled a brow and stared at the dark red staining the fabric where three short tears split the fabric. Her fingers and hands were stained the same shade of red. Blood, her mind helpfully supplied.

Almost frantically, she jolted both hands up Judith’s stomach and pulled the fabric back. Three shallow gashes, swollen and inflamed with thin stripes of dry blood lined across her stomach just above her belly button. 

Faye dropped the fabric to lay just above the scratches and stumbled away like she had just lit a roaring fire. Back in the studio, the walker that she had killed just before it had gotten to her. The one she thought she had killed on time. Her back hit the far counters and she slid down to the floor with her legs straight in front of her.

Judith was infected.

The woman pressed a hand to her mouth while the other pushed her dirty hair from her face. “No, no...please, no I can’t lose another one…” Her English and Russian slurred together in an incoherent whisper. “I can’t lose another baby, _please_ …!” She hiccuped on a sob and pressed both hands tight against her mouth like that alone would hold back her noises. 

Judith started to whimper alone on the table while tears leaked from Faye’s eyes, carving tracks through the dirt on her cheeks and dampening the bandana wrapped around her head. With a frustrated cry that came out louder than she meant it to, she pulled the fabric from her face and cast it aside. 

The noise startled Judith into bawling, and her cries filled the not-totally-empty house instantly. Faye pressed the heels of her palms back into her eyes and let her own tears fall silently. There was nothing to be done about any of it. Even if she somehow managed to survive, she couldn’t go back to the group with news that she couldn’t protect Judith. She couldn’t tell Rick his daughter was dead, or Carl that he lost another family member. 

An even worse thought came to her and made her want to scream. _She was going to have to put Judith down_. A new wave of nausea totally unrelated to the illness pumping through her heart pushed its way up her throat. She leaned aside and braced herself on all fours before coughing up her empty stomach. Judith was still crying.

How many miles had Faye mindlessly walked with the baby on her back? Unknowing of the virus she was already doomed to. Would Merle have even tried to get them out if he knew they were all practically dead already? 

“Sorry, Merle…” Faye uttered in her mother tongue, “I think I messed up…” 

She took a few seconds to breathe and swipe her wrist over the fresh blood trickling from the gash on her cheek. With shaky legs she braced herself into a standing position and made her way back to Judith. 

Mindlessly she finished changing her diaper and used the last of their disinfectant and gauze to clean and wrap her torso. She was deaf to the baby’s crying as she worked methodically. 

She knew what she had to do.

The door behind her creaked as it opened and she spun to face whatever was waiting for them. 

Dark brown eyes blinked at her, then glanced to Judith behind her. She shifted to block his view and their eyes met. A man maybe a little older than Faye stood in the doorway with a defensive stance. He had dark brown skin and a shaved head, and wore a windbreaker jacket that looked a little too big on him. In both hands he clutched a long wooden staff lifted at an angle level with Faye’s head. 

Faye widened her stance and twitched for the gun on the edge of the table. He startled, like the spell keeping them frozen had been broken, and pulled the staff away to stand upright at his side. 

He raised his other hand in surrender. “I’m not gonna hurt you,” He said slowly over Judith’s crying, “It’s just me here. What’s your name?”

His voice was soft and sincere, and as dark as it might have been, there wasn’t much he could do to the both of them now. Faye straightened slightly and rolled her shoulders back. “Faye. This is Judith. You?”

“I’m Morgan, nice to meet you. Are you hungry?”

********

Glenn was feeling better, physically. But his single-minded determination was driving Tara to irritation. The sun was setting behind the trees, casting shadows over the two. Small slivers of sunlight escaped the leaves and branches and splashed over the black street. It was almost pretty if not for the corpses that lay dead on the sides of it.

There were a few broken-down cars in the ditches or pulled over, but they were stripped for parts and unusable. 

“So,” Tara started, “What were you before all this?” She tried for casual conversation.

“Pizza delivery.” Glenn answered, “Before that, I was twenty-two.”

“Cool.” She nodded and trailed behind him. “I was a security guard. Did you and this Maggie we’re looking for know each other before the breakout?” 

“No.”

She waited for more, but nothing came. It was frustrating, to be treated so coldly by the person she’d saved, but she knew he had a good reason. She figured she’d just fill the silence with some reassurance.

“There were kids with you, right? And babies?”

He stopped, and turned to face her with narrowed eyes. “Why?”

“I saw a baby, in a carrier.” Tara explained, but still took a step back. “I tried to get to it, tried to save it, but this other woman pushed me away and ran off with it.”

“What woman? What did she look like?” His tone was urgent and he closed the distance between them to loom over her. 

“Um, brown hair, kind of short? She had blood on her shirt, maybe she was sick?” 

Glenn looked off and nodded to himself. “That was either Maggie or Faye… But the baby, she’s with one of ours?”

Tara nodded and he let out a sigh of relief. “Okay… That’s good.” And just like that, he turned and kept walking. 

While she was confused, she still continued after him. He at least seemed a little more at-ease than he was before, so that was good. 

“I have to ask…” she spoke a little more hesitantly than before, “When you find your people, what happens to me?” 

But Glenn didn’t answer. He had come to a sudden stop in the center of the road, shoulders back to their old stiffness. Tara almost asked what was wrong, but then he started running.

“Glenn, what the hell--” She saw the crashed bus tipped on its side further up the way. “Oh…” she sprinted to catch up with him and met him at the back door, where he was already trying to pry the handle back. 

“It’s from the prison.” Glenn grunted out what Tara had already predicted. “If there’s anyone on it--”

A pale hand slammed against the glass and dragged a bloody handprint across it. Closely followed came other hands and blood-stained mouths with torn-out throats. Tara stepped back with a hand over her mouth, suddenly feeling slightly ill. 

Glenn just grit his teeth and pushed harder. 

“Woah woah, what are you doing?!” Tara grabbed his bicep to stop him. “We can’t take all those things! Everyone on there would be dead!”

Sweat was beading on his forehead, but he still persisted. “I have to know.” He popped the handle open with a screech of metal, and writhing bodies came tumbling out. 

Tara cursed and drew the hatchets on her belt. She and Glenn began to hack at their heads while they were still down, eliminating the problem for the moment. When they were all still and the bus was quiet, Glenn dropped to his knees and began pushing the corpses so he could see their faces. 

Tara watched him desperately claw from face to face, looking for anyone he knew closely. She knew that there was a strange divide between the original survivors and the newly assimilated Woodbury folk, Glenn had explained that much, but she didn’t realize just how deep that connection went. He pushed away the bodies of people he’d lived with for months just to find a single familiar face, uncaring of the residents they must have taken in purely out of pity. 

At last, when he had seen every face that had fallen out of the bus, he stood slowly. “I don’t see her…” He seemed to be talking to himself, and only turned to pull himself into the bus. 

Tara watched him clamor up and start checking the aisles and under seats. “Okay, I’ll just...keep watch, I guess.” She was ignored. 

Glenn came out a few uneventful minutes later with a shocking grin on his face. “Nobody was on. They got out.” He slid down the steep step with a hand on his knee. 

“So what now?”

“We find them.” He answered like it was simple. “We find them alive, and we make a new plan.” 

*******

Morgan shook his head with a sigh. “That’s a hell of a story. So you escaped, got that cut on your face you won’t let me fix, and now you’re here?” 

Faye nodded slowly where she sat to his left in front of the small fire he had started in the hearth of the house. “Something like that…”

He didn’t press her for details, and instead cracked open a can of fruit and passed it to her. “Can she eat solids yet?” 

She took the can and held out a peach slice to Judith, who reached for it with grabby hands. Morgan chuckled when she crushed it in her fist and brought the mush to her mouth. “I guess that’s a yes.” He held out an unopened can of chili to Faye, but she shook her head and refused.

“I don’t need anything, thanks.” She kept her hands interlaced on Judith’s stomach until he accepted her answer and drew back. 

He opened it for himself and dug a spoon into the mess. “You should keep up your strength. You’ve got a baby to look after.”

Faye felt the tears well behind her eyes and her lower lip tremble involuntarily. She sniffed quietly and Morgan glanced over at the sound. “Oh, hey now, no need to cry. I can help you, if you’d like. Two people are better than one in a world like this.” 

She knew his words were supposed to be comforting, but they only made the tears escape her eyes and drip down her face. “I-I can’t…” she took a deep breath in to try and get the words out, “I _failed_. I messed up…!”

“We’ve all done plenty of things we’re not proud of out there--”

“ _No!_ ” Her raised voice made Morgan stop, and wait patiently while she tried to get a hold of herself. “She-she’s infected, and I’m sick. We won’t survive until daylight!”

Her red-rimmed eyes finally looked away from the fire and met his wide brown gaze. “Do you get it?” She snapped, “The clock is ticking for her, and I couldn’t do anything! I _didn’t_ do anything! If-If I had moved a little faster, maybe--”

“Stop.” Morgan snapped, eyes now narrowed not in anger, but determination. “None of this was your fault. Did you watch and do nothing while she was infected? Did you purposefully get sick? No.” He reached out and moved the can aside so he could scoot closer. “If you really do have limited time, don’t you dare spend it wallowing in your own guilt. Especially if something wasn’t your fault.”

Faye just let tears continue to slide down her face and squeezed Judith closer. “Then what can I do?” She whispered like she was afraid to startle herself. “There’s nothing left to fight.” 

“You live while you have life.” He answered at the same volume. “You only get one, so make the most of it while you can.”

She pressed her lips together and dropped her head to press her forehead to the crown of Judith’s head. The three sat in silence together, listening to the sound of Judith breathing with little sighs and the fireplace crackling. 

Faye tried to take the moment like Morgan wanted her to, to just vanish into the seconds and breathe while she still could. But she kept dreading the moment she would have to fire her last two shots. She knew her last look at the world would be of Judith, not breathing and slowly turning into what she hunted. How could she find determination when that was all she had left to do?

“Morgan, can I ask a weird favor of you?” She asked without moving her head from Judith’s. 

“I can do my best. What is it?” 

Faye finally looked back up and propped her chin on Judith’s head to stare at the fire again. “Will you cut my hair?” He looked confused, so she elaborated. “My fever will come back, and I have to outlive her so I can… yeah. I can’t overheat.”

“Ah,” He clarified and stood up next to her. “I’ll go find scissors.” 

She listened to his footsteps retreat back into the kitchen, leaving her alone with her thoughts. Her mind wandered to Daryl for the first time since she escaped. She thought she may have dreamed of him while she was in a fever coma, but the memories had slipped away in favor of the more urgent situation that greeted her when she’d woken up. 

He would miss her, of course he would, they all would. He would probably hate her at least a little if he knew what she had done. If he knew how badly she’d failed; getting his brother and now his almost-adopted daughter killed. And his wife. She institutionally reached for the dog tag on her neck, only to meet open air.

She clutched at her chest for a moment before feeling around her neck and finding nothing. She’d lost them. In the long-term, she guessed it didn’t really matter, but she would have liked to have them. It would at least make identifying her body easier. 

Morgan returned with scissors and kneeled behind her. “Is this okay?” He asked gently when he noticed the fresh teartracks. He made a mental note to make her drink some water with how dehydrated she must be with all this crying. 

She just nodded and leaned her head forward to give him access. He took a breath before he cut the first strand, letting the blood-caked lock fall to the carpet. After the first one, it became easier, until he’d snipped right up to the base of her skull, and then higher until her once shoulder-length hair was only about an inch long all over her head. It wasn’t pretty, but she had started to look less flushed already, so it must have worked.

“Is that okay?” He asked while she ran her fingers through it, feeling the new style.

“Yes. Thanks.” She hefted Judith up and stood with another hand braced on the chimney bricks. “We should go. I don’t want you to be here when it happens.” 

“I won’t stop you,” He said, “But I will stay with you. I sent one man off on his own near the start of this, and I’m still trying to find him. I’d hate to leave you to it.”

Faye shook her head and picked up the fruit can. “You’ve done so much already. I can’t ask you to be there. You deserve better, Morgan.” 

He just nodded and moved back to his spot in front of the fire. “Good luck, Faye. I’m sorry for the hand life dealt you two.”

She slung her bag back over a shoulder and pulled out the wrap for Judith. “Me too. And good luck to you, too. I hope you find who you’re looking for.”

He chuckled and glanced back at her. “Yeah, Rick Grimes is a hard man to find. But he’s out there.” 

Faye froze, baby halfway secure on her chest, and asked softly. “...You know Rick?” 

Morgan turned around fully, expression pleasantly surprised. Like they happen to know the same work-friend instead of survivalist. “Met him when he first got out of the hospital. I was a different man, but he told me what I needed to hear.”

Faye righted herself and finished tying off Judith. “When you find him,” she struggled to keep her voice from cracking, “will you tell him what I told you. And that I’m sorry. There will be a man with him named Daryl. Please tell him I love him, too.” 

He blinked up at her and hesitated before answering, “I will.”

She nodded absently. “Good...Thank you.” 

He didn’t call out to her or rise from his seated position while she slung the bag over her shoulder and took the fruit can with her. She shut the front door softly behind her, and she was gone. Morgan knew not to follow. Sometimes people couldn’t be saved, even from themselves. 

Outside, Judith started squirming and whined against Faye’s chest. Her guardian shushed her gently and ran a hand over her forehead. She was starting to warm up.

Faye pressed a kiss to her head, which seemed to reassure her enough to stop fussing. The walkers outside had dwindled with the sun, and the gray light cast over the neighborhood was just enough to see and hopefully get her to shelter. 

A patch of small daisies growing out of the cracks on the sidewalk caught her eye, and she stooped to pick a few. She continued down the street, humming her lullaby to herself while she spun the flowers in front of the baby. Judith watched the petals spin in amazement until she began to drift off, and fell into what Faye was sure would be her last sleep. 

*******

Beth woke up groggy and sore. She blinked her eyes open slowly and let the blurred shapes around her become familiar objects, but even then found she was confused. She was in a small room just big enough to fit the hospital bed she lay on. The lights were dimmed to a comfortable glow, and she felt cleaner, somehow. 

She ran over what she could remember last; running from the funeral home, looking back to call out to Daryl, bright headlights, then nothing. She slowly pushed herself onto her elbows, then to a sitting position. Her wrist was in a cast, and the confusion in her expression sent a jolt of pain above her eyebrow. She reached up and felt neatly stitched skin in a short line across her temple. 

The door swung open quickly, making her flinch and draw in on herself. A man in a lab coat with glasses was looking down at his chart, paying her no mind. He muttered under his breath and made a mark on his clipboard while he crossed the small room to a rolling stool next to her bed. 

“Any dizziness?” He asked in a clipped tone.

Beth didn’t answer, just kept studying him for any malicious intent. 

He met her eyes and sighed irritably. “Look, I can’t help you unless you answer honestly. Now, any dizziness or nausea?” 

“No… Where am--?”

“Do your stitches feel inflamed or sore? Same for your wrist.”

Beth swung her legs over the side of the bed and leaned over her knees to get close to him. She did her best impression of Michonne when someone ate all her peanutbutter. “Tell me where I am.” 

Evidently it didn’t have the effect she wanted it to have, because he almost looked amused. Since you managed to put weight on your cast and wrinkle your eyebrows together in that glare, I guess you’re feeling fine. Any cravings yet?”

Beth shook her head, “No, why would I--?” 

“We’ll have to do some blood-work later in the day, but I’ll let you rest.” He got up and walked over to the door. “Dawn will be by in just a moment- ah, here she is now. She’ll explain everything to you. Good luck.” With his cryptic warning, he left her alone again for a few seconds before a uniformed female officer entered her room.

While her expression was stern when she entered, her face softened to something almost fond when she saw Beth. “There she is. Good morning, or, evening rather. Did you sleep well?”

Beth made no move to answer, just demanded, “Where am I?” 

“Grady Memorial Hospital.” She answered easily and sat on the end of the bed. “We picked you up just a little ways outside the city. Your arrival has caused quite a few problems, you know. But we can fix it, don’t worry.” She raised her hand to rest it on Beth’s shoulder, but Beth gripped her wrist tightly before it could touch her. 

“Why am I here.” She grit out, uncaring of the stretching sensation she could feel in the stitches in her forehead. “What do you want from me?”

Dawn looked unimpressed at her display of aggression, and yanked her hand back to herself. “Well, your arrival gave my ward an opening, an he stole one of our cars. Idiot doesn’t know what he’s getting into… He’s got a gimp leg, he won’t last long.” She sighed and brightened slightly, a glint in her eyes that Beth didn’t want to place. “So now you get to be my ward! See, the way it works here, is we exchange goods for services. You work for us, keep this hospital running with us, and we give you food, water, medicine; anything you and the little one need.” She was still smiling in that off-putting way.

Beth shook her head and pushed herself off the hospital bed. She had to use the edge for balance, but just wanted distance between her and this woman with a pressed shirt. “What do you mean little one? Where is my friend?” 

Dawn blinked at her before realization washed over her features. “Oh, you didn’t know? You’re pregnant. We did the tests while you were sleeping and our Doctor confirmed--”

“ _What?_ ” Beth snapped, “I’m not pregnant! I can’t be…” She cut herself off and felt her eyes widen. The first time she had sex was with Zach, they had used a condom, but condoms expire and break. She covered her gasp with her good hand and looked down at the wrinkled bed sheets. “Oh, god…” She suddenly felt like she was going to be sick. 

Dawn was frowning at her and stood up. “We’ll work on that attitude later. It’s night hours, so get some rest and you can eat tomorrow. I’ll show you how to work in the morning.” She spun on her heel, shined black shoes clicking sharply, and exit the room. 

Beth heard her lock the door behind her, leaving her alone with her crisis and newfound worry.

*******

Judith still hadn’t woken up.

Faye had managed to find shelter in an old tool shed without a roof, and built a small fire to warm them. The dirt floor had given way to new plant life, and made a carpet of long green grass around the two. 

Faye’s back was leaned against the wall while the baby slept in the cradle of her arms. She looked so peaceful; small breaths making puffs of steam in the air. 

The Russian sighed heavily and leaned back so her head hit the wooden wall. “It’s hard to believe this is how it ends, huh?” She asked no one in her native tongue. “After all the life I’ve lived and...now I’m here.” She looked down at Judith. “You didn’t even get that much time, Judy. It’s not fair, but I’ve already had my breakdown. So I won’t cry on the floor next to a dead body again, I promise.” 

She could see the stars through the ceiling, and tilted her head up to look at the constellations. “Look, bumblebee. The stars are out. You know,” She glanced back down at Judith’s sleeping form. Her tiny chest continued to rise and fall steadily. “When the world was full of people, there were too many lights on to see the sky correctly. Now that there’s no electricity, everyone can see them.” She felt a small smile twitch onto her face. 

“Daryl taught me how to read them a bit. I know a few constellations from when I was young and thought all I wanted to do was dance. But He showed me how to tell where I am with them.

“I think I’ve been avoiding thinking about him. Because I’ll never see him again. And he’ll never see me. It’s just...a sore topic, I think. I know they’ll miss us. I just…” she sighed and looked back down at Judith, “I want them to know that I did my best, even though I failed. And I guess it really sucks that no one will ever hear what I’m saying. Aren’t last words supposed to be poetic?” 

She glanced down at the infant, and noticed that the little puffs of air had stopped. Faye felt her throat close up. “So...I guess that’s it, huh?” 

No response.

Faye clenched her jaw, then forced it to relax. She knew this moment was coming, had known all day, but it was still too soon. These moments always came too soon.

She adjusted the baby to bring her head up to her lips for a gentle kiss on the forehead, and lowered her back down, only to flinch in surprise when she saw that Judith’s eyes were open. Her brown, not-dead eyes. The baby yawned widely and blinked groggily. 

“Wait…” Faye shifted so she could feel Judith’s forehead with the back of her hand. She didn’t have a temperature. Almost frantically, she pulled the bundle of blankets off of her and grabbed at the onesie snaps until she tore them open and lifted the fabric over her belly. “What the fuck…?”

Underneath the gauze, the three lines, previously red and inflamed from irritation, were _healing_. There was no blood, no black tendrils stretching their way into her body, no _nothing_. 

“Oh my god…” Faye whispered and looked into Judith’s blank brown eyes. “You’re immune.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So basically:  
> Daryl is still running but turns into a neighborhood instead-Merle is dead-Maggie, Sasha, and Bob find his walker and kill it-They find Faye's dog tag and assume she was killed as well but don't want to be the ones to put her down so they move on without looking for a body-Faye is (alive and) still sick-Judith has been scratched-Morgan helps them out but eventually realizes he can't save them-He cuts Faye's hair, per requested-Glenn and Tara find the bus-No one they knew was on it-Beth is in Grady-Noah escaped when she arrived-Beth is pregnant (from Zach, everything was consensual)-Faye finds out Judith is immune
> 
> ...A lot happened.


End file.
